Meanings
farcical1
comparative more farcical · superlative most farcical
- Resembling a farce; ludicrous; absurd.
In August the generals won approval for the document in a referendum made farcical by a law which forbade campaigners from criticising the text.
2017 January 14, “Thailand's new king rejects the army's proposed constitution”, in The Economist2 more examples
A closer look at North Korean history reveals what Pyongyang’s leaders really want their near-farcical belligerence to achieve — a reminder to the world that North Korea exists, and an impression abroad that its leaders are irrational and unpredictable.
2013 April 9, Andrei Lankov, “Stay Cool. Call North Korea's Bluff.”, in New York TimesAn inquiry into lockdown parties in Downing Street, which could determine the fate of Boris Johnson, is expected to lay bare a “farcical” culture of drinking and impromptu socialising, with little oversight from senior officials, the Guardian understands.
2022 January 13, Rajeev Syal et al., “No 10 party inquiry will reveal ‘farcical’ culture, say Whitehall sources”, in The Guardian
farcical2
- not comparableobsoleterarebiologyPertaining to farcy.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivebroadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
farcical · adjective
- Englishfarcy
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishfarcical
Translations
Dutch bespottelijk, lachwekkend
- bespottelijkabsurd
- lachwekkendabsurd
- kluchtigabsurd
- belachelijkabsurd
Esperanto ridinda
- ridindaabsurd
Finnish farssimainen, järjetön
- farssimainenabsurd
- järjetönabsurd
French ridicule, risible
- ridiculeabsurd
- risibleabsurd
- farfeluabsurd
- burlesqueabsurd
- grotesqueabsurd
German grotesk, irrwitzig
- groteskabsurd
- irrwitzigabsurd
- aberwitzigabsurd
- absurdabsurd
Icelandic fáránlegur, farsakenndur
- fáránlegurabsurd
- farsakenndurabsurd
- farsakenndabsurd
- farsakenntabsurd
- fjarstæðukenndurabsurd
Latin mimicus
- mimicusabsurd
Polish farsowy
- farsowyabsurd
Romanian caraghios, absurd
- caraghiosabsurd
- absurdabsurd
- burlescabsurd
- grotescabsurd
Russian фарсовый
- фарсовый (farsovyj)absurd
Spanish farsesco
- farsescoabsurd
Swedish farsartad
- farsartadabsurd
Tagalog matiyaw
- matiyawabsurd
Cite this entry
farcical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/farcical
“farcical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/farcical. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “farcical,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/farcical.
Source: farcical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.