mock

verb \ ˈmäk , ˈmȯk \

Updated on: 15 May 2018

Definition of mock

transitive verb

1 : to treat with contempt or ridicule : deride

he has been mocked as a mama's boy
—C. P. Pierce

2 : to disappoint the hopes of

for any government to mock men's hopes with mere words and promises and gestures
—D. D. Eisenhower

3 : defy, challenge

the unstable, strange new world of subatomic particles that mock all attempts at understanding
—Philip Howard

4 a : to imitate (someone or something) closely : mimic

a mockingbird was mocking a cardinal
—Nelson Hayes

b : to mimic in sport or derision

followed the old man along the street mocking his gait

intransitive verb

: jeer, scoff

she … mocked at his piety as affectation
—Ferdinand Schevill

—

mocker

noun

—

mockingly

play \ˈmä-kiŋ-lē, ˈmȯ-\ adverb

See mock defined for English-language learners

See mock defined for kids

Examples of mock in a Sentence

The boys mocked him for showing fear.
He mocks art only because he doesn't understand it.
They continue to mock the idea of a new government.
We are being mocked for our religious beliefs.
You can mock me as much as you like, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Recent Examples of mock from the Web

The Republicans have adopted Trump's hard-line immigration rhetoric and his affinity for mocking opponents with derisive nicknames.

— bill barrow, chicagotribune.com, "Primaries kick off: What to know about the top races in 4 states," 8 May 2018
The current president—who might well, the lore goes, have decided to run for the office after being mocked by his predecessor at the 2011 WHCD—has for two years declined to attend the dinner.

— megan garber, The Atlantic, "The Slow, Awkward Death of the White House Correspondents' Dinner," 29 Apr. 2018
No one ever felt better after being mocked by a bully because of Dire Straits.

— ron hart, Billboard, "Why Dire Straits Deserves to Be In the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," 11 Apr. 2018
Parkland school officials decided to require all students to carry clear plastic backpacks as one safety measure — and was mocked by students who saw it as a meaningless gesture over real gun reform.

— NBC News, "Pennsylvania school district arms teachers with small baseball bats as 'last resort'," 11 Apr. 2018
Laura Ingraham got in trouble for publicly mocking one of the student gun-control activists of Parkland, Fla.

— peggy noonan, WSJ, "If Adults Won’t Grow Up, Nobody Will," 5 Apr. 2018
Those who oppose North Korea’s actions are mocked with stinging adjectives, not openings for compromise.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "What to make of a North Korean apology," 2 Apr. 2018
Fox News host Laura Ingraham apologized for mocking Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg yesterday—but only after Hogg started organizing an advertiser boycott of her show, The Ingraham Angle.

— kristen bellstrom, Fortune, "Microsoft, Bumble vs Tinder: Broadsheet March 30," 30 Mar. 2018
As the companies backed away, Ingraham apologized for mocking Hogg in a tweet sent Wednesday.

— CBS News, "Laura Ingraham's advertisers distance themselves after her David Hogg comments," 29 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of mock

Middle English, from moker

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

mock Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of mock

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

copy, imitate, mimic, ape, mock mean to make something so that it resembles an existing thing. copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

- copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

- imitate a poet's style

mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

- pupils mimicking their teacher

ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

- American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

mock usually implies imitation with derision.

- mocking a vain man's pompous manner

mock

noun

Definition of mock

1 : an act of ridicule or derision : jeer

2 : one that is an object of derision or scorn

3 : mockery

4 a : an act of imitation

b : something made as an imitation

See mock defined for English-language learners

Examples of mock in a Sentence

they made a mock of the new recruit in front of the whole unit
obviously, the “priceless” Grecian urn that is destroyed in the movie was a mock

Recent Examples of mock from the Web

One mock-up of the bank’s new trading floor shows an expansive view of Central Park.

— sonali basak, Bloomberg.com, "Deutsche Bank Joins Wall Street Exodus for View of Central Park," 4 May 2018
Meanwhile, the Russian government has sponsored a mock-up Reichstag for a park outside Moscow, so that young people can practice storming it.

— sophie pinkham, The New Republic, "Why have post-Soviet countries embraced populism and nostalgia?," 3 May 2018
But supervised injection facilities aren’t yet legal, so the one set up in Longwood by a coalition of area medical students and activists was just a mock-up.

— nestor ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "A practical plan for fighting overdoses — but not in Massachusetts," 1 May 2018
Walter Football Updated April 25 Analyst Walter Cherepinsky has actively switched his pick for San Francisco in his mock, which is updated more often than others.

— noel harris, sacbee, "49ers mock drafts: A favorite prospect emerges at No. 9 before decision day | The Sacramento Bee," 26 Apr. 2018
Most learned basic seamanship aboard the 240-foot USS Bluejacket, a wooden mock-up of a 1940’s destroyer escort that was anchored for more than two decades on a parade field at the corner of General Rees Avenue and Glenridge Way.

— stephen hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Statue of female sailor at Blue Jacket Park honors Navy legacy, women who served at sea," 14 Apr. 2018
The Japanese government is bankrolling a $100 million, state-of-the-art R&D center near the nuclear plant where robot operators train on digital models of the reactors in a giant 3-D Holo Stage and on life-size physical mock-ups.

— vince beiser, WIRED, "The Robot Assault On Fukushima," 26 Apr. 2018
In this Fanspeak mock, Carter is still on the board, and Chiefs fans worried about the pass rush can breathe a slight sigh of relief.

— terez a. paylor, kansascity, "The Star’s seven-round Kansas City Chiefs NFL draft projection, version 3.0 | The Kansas City Star," 25 Apr. 2018
In a recent mock draft by Draftsite.com, Decker was the second player selected in the third round, No.

— marc narducci, Philly.com, "Seneca's Nick Decker stays cool amid the swirling hype," 13 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of mock

see ¹mock

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

mock Synonyms

Synonyms

carbon, carbon copy, clone, copy, dummy, dupe, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, imitation, reduplication, replica, replication, reproduction;

Antonyms

archetype, original, prototype;

miniature, mock-up, simulation;

reconstruction, re-creation;

image, likeness, semblance, shadow;

impression, imprint, print;

approximation, reincarnation, version;

extra, reserve, spare;

mock

adjective

Definition of mock

: of, relating to, or having the character of an imitation : simulated, feigned

the mock solemnity of the parody

See mock defined for English-language learners

Examples of mock in a Sentence

We stared at him in mock surprise.
Every summer, our history club performs mock battles to relive our country's greatest war.

Recent Examples of mock from the Web

After winning their fourth state competition, the Shorewood High School mock trial team is headed to the national championship in Reno, Nevada.

— jeff rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Shorewood's mock trial team heading to nationals after winning state competition," 8 May 2018
There’s news satire, which applies to how programs like The Daily Show use humor to contextualize and mock real-world events.

— jackie mansky, Smithsonian, "The Age-Old Problem of “Fake News”," 7 May 2018
Demonstrators wore paper crowns to mock Putin’s long rule, now running longer than any Russian leader since Stalin.

— andrew e. kramer, BostonGlobe.com, "Putin starts 4th term with coronation-style ceremony," 7 May 2018
Four portions of the tryout are open to the public: a mock pep rally, media questions, a two-minute impromptu skit and a pushup contest.

— laken litman, Indianapolis Star, "The hilariously serious tryout process to be a Notre Dame leprechaun," 4 May 2018
Amanda tossed a mock baseball to Jake, who smashed it at home plate.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Aaaaw! Rangers' Jake Diekman and wife Amanda hit home run with baby gender reveal | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 3 May 2018
Instead, British army officers are standing in for Meghan and Prince Harry during mock weddings that are being held for security planning purposes, according to the Sun.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Getting Ready for Their Wedding," 2 May 2018
Check out all their mock draft predictions ahead of each round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

— thom craver, CBS News, "2018 NFL Draft today: How to watch, pick order and more," 28 Apr. 2018
That’s in part because of the lengthy technical preparation, which included dissections and mock surgeries on cadavers.

— rachel becker, The Verge, "In a world first, a US veteran now has a new penis and scrotum," 23 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of mock

see ¹mock

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1548

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

mock Synonyms

Synonyms

affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, phony (also phoney), plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, strained, unnatural;

Antonyms

artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced;

Near Antonyms

authentic, bona fide, real, realistic, right, true;

honest, ingenuous, sincere, unpretending;

easy, effortless, smooth;

extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied;

double-dealing, empty, facile, hollow, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy, mealymouthed, two-faced, unctuous;

exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical (also theatric);

cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering;

conventional, formal, impersonal, inflexible, rigid, stiff, stylized, wooden;

artful, calculated, conscious, cultivated, deliberate, premeditated, studied;

mock

adverb

Definition of mock

: in an insincere or counterfeit manner —usually used in combination

mock-serious

Recent Examples of mock from the Web

The artists Kenya (Robinson) and Doreen Garner are sitting mock-regally on a divan in a moody Gramercy cocktail bar.

— adam davidson, The New Yorker, "The Podcast as Performance Art," 28 Jan. 2017

Origin and Etymology of mock

see ¹mock

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1625

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

MOCK Defined for English Language Learners

mock

verb

Definition of mock for English Language Learners

: to laugh at or make fun of (someone or something) especially by copying an action or a way of behaving or speaking
: to criticize and laugh at (someone or something) for being bad, worthless, or unimportant

mock

noun

Definition of mock for English Language Learners

: an exam that does not count and that is done to practice for a real exam : a mock exam

mock

adjective

Definition of mock for English Language Learners

: not based on real or honest feelings
: done or performed to look like the real thing

MOCK Defined for Kids

mock

verb \ ˈmäk \

Definition of mock for Students

mocked; mocking

1 : to treat with scorn : ridicule

Stanley had also tried to explain that he needed to save his energy … but the other boys just mocked him.
—Louis Sachar, Holes

2 : ²mimic 2

mock

adjective

Definition of mock for Students

: not real : make-believe

a mock battle

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mock

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mock

Definition of mock

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Origin and Etymology of mock

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mock

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MOCK Defined for English Language Learners

mock

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mock

Definition of mock for English Language Learners

mock

Definition of mock for English Language Learners

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