as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the derisive performances of some of the singers on the talent show
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Recent Examples of derisive
Spokespeople turned away media requests for such information with a derisive laugh.
—
Ron Kampeas, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025
While speaking to Jay Shetty on his podcast On Purpose in an episode released Wednesday, Watson spoke about the personal, derisive comments Rowling has made against her.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 25 Sep. 2025
Few seemed to take seriously an American president who appeared unsure of himself and who offered outlandish claims that might have worked with his political base, but from the U.N. assembly invited derisive laughter.
—Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2025
The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative.
—Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derisive
Ron Kampeas, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025
While speaking to Jay Shetty on his podcast On Purpose in an episode released Wednesday, Watson spoke about the personal, derisive comments Rowling has made against her.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 25 Sep. 2025
Few seemed to take seriously an American president who appeared unsure of himself and who offered outlandish claims that might have worked with his political base, but from the U.N. assembly invited derisive laughter.
—Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2025
The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative.
—Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derisive
Adjective
-
Across the eight-episode series, things move from the ridiculous to the sublime.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The film is afraid to be ridiculous, when in fact ridiculousness should be the animating spirit of most successful studio horror.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Characters speak in absurd double entendres no human being could leave unacknowledged.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, Trump will have won by simply refusing to tell a story at all, outside of Hegseth’s absurd football-coach talk.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Gore said half in surprise and half in jest after lasting just 1⅔ innings in a 15-9 win over Kansas City, which wasn’t even the silliest game in the West Valley on a gusty Thursday.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The fever dream of a sequel that’s also a prequel takes everything good about the first movie and turns it up to 100, happily ignoring any dose of realism in favor of silly, colorful, karaoke-ready fun.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The pathetic leaks didn’t work.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The jobs report was a complete failure, and his economic approval sits at a pathetic 39%.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These people out here are stupid.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Besides, each unmasking is stupid and anticlimactic in its own way.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derisive. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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