LU'DICROUS, adjective [Latin ludicer, from ludo, to sport.] Sportive; burlesque; adapted to raise laughter, without scorn or contempt. ludicrous differs from ridiculous; the latter implying contempt or derision. Plutarch quotes this instance of Homer's judgment, in closing a ludicrous scene with decency and instruction.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI