jeer

1 of 2

verb

jeered; jeering; jeers

intransitive verb

: to speak or cry out with derision or mockery
a jeering mob

transitive verb

: to deride with mocking and insulting remarks or sounds : taunt
was jeered by the crowd when he tried to speak
jeerer noun
jeeringly adverb

jeer

2 of 2

noun

: a mocking and insulting remark or sound : taunt
the jeers of the crowd
Choose the Right Synonym for jeer

scoff, jeer, gibe, fleer, sneer, flout mean to show one's contempt in derision or mockery.

scoff stresses insolence, disrespect, or incredulity as motivating the derision.

scoffed at their concerns

jeer suggests a coarser more undiscriminating derision.

the crowd jeered at the prisoners

gibe implies taunting either good-naturedly or in sarcastic derision.

hooted and gibed at the umpire

fleer suggests grinning or grimacing derisively.

the saucy jackanapes fleered at my credulity

sneer stresses insulting by contemptuous facial expression, phrasing, or tone of voice.

sneered at anything romantic

flout stresses contempt shown by refusal to heed.

flouted the conventions of polite society

Examples of jeer in a Sentence

Verb He tried to ignore the jeering crowd. The crowd jeered him when he struck out. The prisoner was jeered by an angry mob. Noun ignored the jeers of the other team's fans and just focused on making her free throw shot
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Republican Representative Barry Moore of Alabama left a town hall meeting through the back door on Thursday without delivering any closing remarks after being repeatedly booed and jeered by audience members. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025 Raging at the decision, the 29-year-old Medvedev sprinted across the court to remonstrate angrily with Allensworth and whipped up a jeering New York crowd. Manasi Pathak, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
D’Annunzio jeers at her delusional belief that Il Duce will fund her dream project of a theater not for the wealthy cultural and intellectual elite, but for the Great War’s widows, orphans and veterans. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025 The match was halted for about six minutes as jeers, whistles and boos rang out around Louis Armstrong Stadium, with fans refusing to stay quiet so Bonzi could serve. Ben Morse, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jeer

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1561, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jeer was in 1561

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeer. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

jeer

verb
ˈji(ə)r
: to laugh at or criticize someone in a loud and angry way
jeer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on jeer

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