馬鹿げた

• Reading: ばかげた
• Romaji: bakageta
• Kanji breakdown: 馬 (ba/uma) — horse (used phonetically); 鹿 (roku/shika) — deer (used phonetically)
• Pronunciation: /bɑkɑge̞tɑ/

Meaning

Absurd; ridiculous; foolish; silly. Describes something that appears to be the product of stupidity or lack of judgement.

A prenominal adjective (modifies nouns directly: 馬鹿げたこと, 馬鹿げた話). Derived from 馬鹿 (fool) and the adjectival suffix げ (appearing like, having the character of) combined with た. Slightly stronger than 馬鹿らしい in implying the thing is objectively foolish rather than merely seeming that way. Common in both speech and writing.

Examples

1. そんな馬鹿げた言い訳が通じると思っているのか、呆れて物も言えない。 Did you really think such a ridiculous excuse would fly? I'm too stunned to even speak.
2. 馬鹿げたミスで大事なプレゼンを台無しにしてしまい、深く反省した。 A foolish mistake ruined an important presentation, and I deeply regretted it.
3. 彼の馬鹿げた提案には誰一人賛成しなかった。 Not a single person supported his absurd proposal.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, everyday conversation, humour

Tone: dismissive

Origin & History

From 馬鹿 (fool, idiot) and the suffix げた, which conveys the appearance or character of something. 馬鹿 itself has uncertain etymological origins — one theory traces it to Sanskrit moha (delusion) and kha (void) through Buddhist texts, rendering 'empty-minded.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal