Definition

Adjective: - Ridiculous, laughable, absurd: Describes something that is so silly, illogical, or incongruous that it provokes laughter or amusement. It often carries a nuance of something being unexpectedly or ironically funny.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Câu chuyện đó thật tức cười. (That story is truly ridiculous/laughable.)
  • Lý do anh ấy đưa ra nghe thật tức cười. (The reason he gave sounds absolutely absurd.)
  • Tôi thấy tình huống ấy vừa tức cười vừa đáng giận. (I found that situation both laughable and annoying.)

Advanced Usage

• "Buồn cười" vs. "Tức cười": While both can mean "funny," "buồn cười" is more neutral (simply "funny"), whereas "tức cười" often implies a stronger sense of ridiculousness, absurdity, or something being so nonsensical it's funny. It can sometimes carry a slight connotation of frustration or irony mixed with the humor.
  • Cái kết của bộ phim thật buồn cười. (The movie's ending is funny.) [Neutral]
  • Cái kết của bộ phim thật tức cười. (The movie's ending is ridiculous/absurdly funny.) [Implies it's laughably bad or illogical]

Variants and Related Words

• Buồn cười (adj): Funny, amusing.
• Nực cười (adj): A synonym very close in meaning to "tức cười," also meaning ridiculous or laughable.
• Lố bịch (adj): Absurd, preposterous (often stronger and more negative than "tức cười").
• Hài hước (adj): Humorous (more positive and general than "tức cười").

Synonyms

• Lố bịch: Preposterous, absurd.
• Nực cười: Ridiculous, laughable.
• Buồn cười: Funny.
• Kỳ quặc: Weird, odd (can be funny in a strange way).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "Tức cười chết được": An exaggerated expression meaning "so ridiculous it could kill you (with laughter)" or "utterly absurd."
  • Lập luận của anh ta tức cười chết được. (His argument is utterly absurd.)
• While "tức cười" itself is not typically part of a phrasal verb structure, it is commonly used in the pattern "thật là tức cười" (it's really ridiculous) or "vừa tức vừa cười" (a feeling of being both annoyed/angry ("tức") and amused ("cười")).

adj

1. ridiculous