Definition of DERIDE

Choose the Right Synonym for deride

ridicule, deride, mock, taunt mean to make an object of laughter of. ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling. consistently ridiculed everything she said deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule. derided their efforts to start their own business mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference. youngsters began to mock the helpless wino taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge. hometown fans taunted the visiting team

Did You Know?

When deride was borrowed into English in the 16th century, it came to us by combining the prefix de- with ridēre, a Latin verb meaning "to laugh." Ridēre is also the ancestor of the English words risible ("laughable") and ridiculous. Of course, English has a number of words meaning "to laugh at unkindly"; in addition to deride, we have ridicule, mock, and taunt. Deride suggests laughter loaded with contemptuousness or bitterness, whereas ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling ("consistently ridiculed everything she said"). Mock implies scorn often ironically expressed by mimicry or sham deference ("mocking the speaker's impassioned tones"). Taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge ("hometown fans taunted the visiting team").

Examples of deride in a Sentence

my brothers derided our efforts, but were forced to eat their words when we won first place

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertising Warren has stumbled on racial issues, most notably when she was derided as racially insensitive for using a DNA test to address her past claims to Native American heritage. — Errin Haines Whack, The Seattle Times, "Warren building unlikely connection with black female voters," 19 May 2019 Ronald Reagan was derided as a genial but bumbling movie actor but was elected twice to govern both his state and his country. — Michael Ashcroft, Time, "Do Not Doubt Donald Trump. He Could Easily Be Reelected," 29 Mar. 2018 For decades, Wall Street has derided individual investors as ill-informed, fickle and hapless. — Jason Zweig, WSJ, "You, Dear Investor, Are Patient, Prudent and Calm," 19 Apr. 2019 Kevin Pritchard has absolutely earned the last laugh after he was widely derided for the Paul George trade. — Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, "NBA Power Rankings: The Injury-Riddled Warriors Punt on the Regular Season," 26 Mar. 2018 Their coach, 25-year-old Ekapol Chantawong, though derided by some for initially leading the 12 boys into the darkness, is being hailed for his bravery by others, including many of the boys’ parents. — Kristin Clark Taylor, Washington Post, "Thai soccer coach meditated with boys to calm them in the cave. We can all learn from them.," 11 July 2018 Active Shooter is being derided by gamers on social media and the developer is seemingly embracing controversy to boost sales. — Chris Morris, Fortune, "Upcoming Video Game Lets You Play as a School Shooter," 24 May 2018 Socialist leader Maduro won another six-year term on Sunday in an election derided by opposition groups and many in the international community. — Bard Wilkinson, CNN, "US expels Venezuelan diplomats as election row escalates," 23 May 2018 The invention of the silo bag -- something that was derided by supporters of Macri’s predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner -- has also given farmers the ability to store beans and wait for a favorable exchange rate and crop prices. — Jonathan Gilbert, Bloomberg.com, "‘Start Selling So Dollars Come in,’ Argentine Farmers Are Told," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deride.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.