ridiculous
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from the ridiculous to the sublime
From something silly, foolish, or absurd to something exceptional or beautiful. Less common than "from the sublime to the ridiculous." I was pleasantly surprised by the ending to that play—it really took things from the ridiculous to the sublime. Teaching preschool is inherently pretty comical, but when a child gives you a big hug at the end of the day, it helps to take things from the ridiculous to the sublime. No, there's nothing that could take this utterly bizarre day from the ridiculous to the sublime!
from the sublime to the ridiculous
From something exceptional or beautiful to something silly, foolish, or absurd. I was disappointed by the ending to that play—it unfortunately took things from the sublime to the ridiculous. When you have a touching moment with your preschoolers in the morning and then one of them puts glue in your hair in the afternoon, it definitely takes things from the sublime to the ridiculous. Nothing could take this day from the sublime to the ridiculous. I mean, I just met one of my heroes—what could be better?
from the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step
proverb Something or some situation can very easily go from being exceptional or beautiful to being silly, foolish, or absurd. The opera singer was followed by a ventriloquist. From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step. I was disappointed by the ending to that play. Someone should have reminded the author that from the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step. I had a really touching moment with my preschoolers in the morning and then one of them put glue in my hair in the afternoon. Truly, from the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step.
make (one) look ridiculous
To make one appear or seem very foolish or awkward. Don't let him get on your nerves. He's just trying to get a reaction to make you look ridiculous in front of the class. I can't wear this dress, it makes me look ridiculous!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
from the sublime to the ridiculous
Fig. from something fine and uplifting to something ridiculous or mundane. After Mr. Jones had introduced my wife to his wife, he jokingly turned to introduce me and said, "From the sublime to the ridiculous." After the opera singer finished, the master of ceremonies introduced the comic juggler saying, "From the sublime to the ridiculous...."
From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step.
Prov. Something grand can easily become very funny. Bob, I don't think you should include a bowl of breakfast cereal in your still-life painting. From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step. The production of Macbeth went from the sublime to the ridiculous when Lady Macbeth came onstage in an old army uniform.
make someone look ridiculous
to make someone look foolish (not funny). This hat makes me look ridiculous. Please make me look good. Don't make me look ridiculous!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
from the sublime to the ridiculous
From the beautiful to the silly, from great to puny. For example, They played first Bach and then an ad jingle-from the sublime to the ridiculous. The reverse, from the ridiculous to the sublime, is used with the opposite meaning. Coined by Tom Paine in The Age of Reason (1794), in which he said the two are so closely related that it is but one step from one to the other, the phrase has been often repeated in either order.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
from the subˌlime to the riˈdiculous
used to describe a situation in which something serious, important or of high quality is followed by something silly, unimportant or of poor quality: His works as an artist range from the sublime to the ridiculous, with very little in between. From the sublime to the ridiculous is only one step is a translation of a phrase that was first said by Napoleon Bonaparte.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
from the sublime to the ridiculous
From outstanding to measly, famous to infamous, wonderful to silly. This expression appears to have been coined in America by Thomas Paine in his The Age of Reason (1794). The full quotation is, “The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime makes the ridiculous, and one step above the ridiculous makes the sublime again.” The expression was rephrased in French by the encyclopedist Jean-François Marmontel and then repeated by Napoleon, who used it to describe the retreat of his army from Moscow.
ridiculous to the sublime, from the
There is surprisingly little difference between the wonderful and the extremely silly. The expression linking “ridiculous” and “sublime” originated with Tom Paine in The Age of Reason (1794): “The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime makes the ridiculous, and one step above the ridiculous makes the sublime again.” Napoleon, who admired Paine, repeated it in French about 1812; his version was translated as “From the sublime to the ridiculous there is only one step.” The two qualities have been paired in this way ever since.
See also: ridiculous, to
sublime to the ridiculous
See ridiculous to sublime.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer