Risible is that which causes laughter.
Risible is an adjective that is used regarding that which causes laughter . For example: “I cannot respond seriously to a laughable argument,” “The couple enjoyed a laughable celebration of their anniversary, with a costume party and a comedy show,” “The governor had a laughable time in the television studio.” .
In order to know the meaning of the term, it is necessary to proceed to discover its etymological origin. In this sense we can determine that it is a word derived from the Latin risibilis , which can be translated as "that can laugh" and that it is the result of the sum of two clearly differentiated parts:
- The noun risus , which is synonymous with “laughter” .
- The suffix -ible , which is used to indicate “that can” .
Characteristics of the laughable
It should be noted that laughter is usually a spontaneous reaction to a certain stimulus. The laughable, therefore, is a stimulus that causes fun , is fun or generates joy . When faced with a stimulus of this kind, the person reacts by laughing.
Take the case of a monologue . An artist can get on stage and start talking, putting different thoughts and ideas into words. When said monologue makes people laugh, it can be said that it is a laughable monologue.
The term laughable can have a positive meaning or be used in a derogatory way.
derogatory use of the term
It is important to mention, however, that the adjective laughable is also often used in a derogatory sense , to disqualify a foreign idea .
When, consulted by a journalist, the president of a country affirms that the proposals of the opposition political parties are laughable, he will not be saying that these proposals are funny or amusing. In this case, the laughable is associated with a lack of seriousness and suggests that, since the proposals lack this seriousness, they should not even be considered or analyzed.
The laughable according to the context
The classification of laughable, in short, can be positive or negative depending on the context . The comedian will want his performance to be considered laughable, but the politician will get angry if his ideas are defined as laughable.
In a perfect union of the two meanings that concern us regarding the term laughable, there are certain television programs that are classified as laughable. These are spaces where, from a positive point of view, what is intended is to generate laughter from the spectators but, on the other hand, this is intended to be achieved by “mocking” the people who participate in it.
A good example of these spaces was the Spanish program “El semáforo” . In it, the audience and viewers laughed watching the performances of unique people who believed in themselves for having specific "qualities" or "abilities" , but who in reality were the object of mockery or ridicule. In this way, there were participants who gave their all on stage, thinking that they were singing perfectly in English, but they caused laughter both because of their lack of tune and because of the fact that their command of that language was really ridiculous .