ridicule 1 of 2

as in contempt
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ridicule

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ridicule distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ridicule are deride, mock, and taunt. While all these words mean "to make an object of laughter of," ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

When is deride a more appropriate choice than ridicule?

The meanings of deride and ridicule largely overlap; however, deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

In what contexts can mock take the place of ridicule?

The words mock and ridicule are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

When is it sensible to use taunt instead of ridicule?

While the synonyms taunt and ridicule are close in meaning, taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

Examples of ridicule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Gunn, who holds a PhD in dance, was subjected to widespread ridicule as a result of her performance during the B-Girls Round Robin last week, with many making light of her dance moves, which were a far cry from traditional Hip-Hop dance moves the public is accustomed to. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 Aug. 2024 Irony is playful and capacious enough to permit simultaneous endorsement and ridicule. Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
Verb
Only two years ago, Blake Lemoine, a Google engineer, was ridiculed for suggesting that a Google AI model was sentient. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024 Was Donald’s older brother Fred ridiculed by some in the family? Eric Andersson, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ridicule 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near ridicule

Cite this Entry

“Ridicule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ridicule. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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