laughingstock

noun

laugh·​ing·​stock ˈla-fiŋ-ˌstäk How to pronounce laughingstock (audio)
ˈlä-
: an object of ridicule

Examples of laughingstock in a Sentence

The team has become the laughingstock of the league. The mayor became a laughingstock.
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.
No one would have wanted the bridesmaids, especially Princess Charlotte, to look like a laughingstock. Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2025 Even Germany’s traditionally punctual train service has become a laughingstock, with jokes about late or canceled trains now standard fare for German comics. Mark I. Vail, The Conversation, 16 May 2025 Rick Pitino has turned this program from a laughingstock into a true title contender in just one year. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025 Louisville is no longer a laughingstock in college basketball circles. Tim Casey, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for laughingstock

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1518, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of laughingstock was circa 1518

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Cite this Entry

“Laughingstock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laughingstock. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

laughingstock

noun
laugh·​ing·​stock ˈlaf-iŋ-ˌstäk How to pronounce laughingstock (audio)
ˈlȧf-
: a person or thing that is made fun of

More from Merriam-Webster on laughingstock

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