What does preposterous mean?
Word: Preposterous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Preposterous means so unreasonable or silly that it is almost impossible to believe; completely absurd.
Synonyms: ridiculous, outrageous, ludicrous
Antonyms: sensible, reasonable
Word origin: From Latin praeposterus, 'reversed, back to front', from prae, 'before', + posterus, 'coming after'.
How do you spell preposterous?
Syllables: pre - pos - ter - ous
Tricky part: The ending is erous, as in prosperous. Students drop the e (prepostrous) or the o (preposterus).
Watch out for: prepostrous, preposterus
Memory tip: A preposterous plan will never make anyone prosperous, and the two words end the same way: erous.
Preposterous in a sentence
Example 1: The idea that the moon is made of cheese is preposterous.
Example 2: He gave a preposterous excuse: a monkey had run off with his homework.
Example 3: Charging two hundred pounds for a cup of tea seemed preposterous to Grandma.
Fun Fact
The same Latin posterus, 'coming after', is behind posterity, the word for the generations that come after us.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Read the three statements and choose the correct option:
1. A preposterous claim is one that is sensible and easy to believe. 2. A ludicrous plan is so silly that it makes people laugh. 3. A frivolous remark is serious and important.
a) only 1 and 2 are true
b) all three are true
c) only 2 and 3 are true
d) only 2 is true
Show answer
d) only 2 is true. A preposterous claim is impossible to believe, and a frivolous remark is not serious, so only statement 2 is true.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) proposterous : sensible
b) humble : proud
c) brave : cowardly
d) generous : mean
Show answer
a) proposterous : sensible. It begins pre, meaning before.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their synonyms:
1. preposterous 2. meticulous 3. gregarious a. sociable b. absurd c. painstaking
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. Preposterous means absurd, meticulous means painstaking, and gregarious means sociable.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
ourtsppesroe
a) too foolish to be taken seriously
b) noisy, lively and full of energy
c) skilful with the hands
d) doing well and making a lot of money
Show answer
a) too foolish to be taken seriously. The letters make preposterous; the others describe prosperous, boisterous and dexterous.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A preposterous suggestion would be ____.
a) cycling to school
b) taking the bus to school
c) walking to school with friends
d) flying to school on a kite
Show answer
d) flying to school on a kite
2. What reaction would a preposterous excuse usually get?
a) instant agreement
b) a thank-you note
c) a reward
d) laughter and disbelief
Show answer
d) laughter and disbelief
