aberwitzig
Translation
ludicrous, preposterous, insane, zany
Examples
Das ist eine aberwitzige Idee.
That is a ludicrous idea.
Er fuhr mit aberwitziger Geschwindigkeit.
He drove at an insane speed.
Grammar Patterns
[Adjective] + [Noun] (attributive) Das ist eine aberwitzige Idee.
sein + [Adjective] (predicative) Die Idee ist aberwitzig.
Similar Words
Synonyms: absurd, wahnsinnig, grotesk; Antonyms: vernünftig (reasonable), sinnvoll (sensible)
Etymology
From 'Aberwitz' (madness, insanity) + '-ig' (adjective suffix). 'Aberwitz' itself comes from 'aber-' (implying 'off' or 'wrong') and 'Witz' (wit, sense), so 'off-sense'.
Memory Tips
Think of a 'Witz' (joke) that is so 'aber' (over the top, beyond) that it becomes ludicrous or insane.