mock

1 of 4

verb

ˈmäk 

ˈmȯk

mocked; mocking; mocks

transitive verb

1

: to treat with contempt or ridicule : deride

Men mock the gods until they need them …

—Leigh Bardugo

2

: to disappoint the hopes of

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

—Dwight 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

ˈmä-kiŋ-lē 

ˈmȯ-

adverb

mock

2 of 4

noun

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

mock

3 of 4

adjective

1

: not based on real or honest feelings : feigned

We opened our mouths in mock surprise.

2

: done, performed, or created to look genuine : simulated

a mock trial

a group of history buffs engaging in mock battles

mock

4 of 4

adverb

: in an insincere or counterfeit manner

—usually used in combination

mock-serious

Synonyms of mock

Verb

• parody
• imitate
• do

Noun

• joke
• fool
• target

Adjective

• faux
• simulated
• fake
• synthetic
• dummy
• imitation
• artificial

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

the other kids mocked the way he laughed

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, unoriginal, 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

Examples of mock in a Sentence

Verb

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.

Noun

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

Adjective

We stared at him in mock surprise.

Every summer, our history club performs mock battles to relive our country's greatest war.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In Ringu, Sadako psychically kills a journalist who mocks her mother’s psychic abilities. —Will Borger, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025

When told about Harvey's comments, Knight mocked her younger teammate for letting her phone fall out of her pocket while on the ice during a Women's World Cup game in April. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025

Noun

The film pivots from wry mock-doc to straightforward slasher in its second half, but its wit remains sharper than the farm equipment Leslie uses to dispatch his victims. —Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025

Armored vehicles were observed clearing obstacles set by mock defending forces before advancing toward the presidential and foreign ministry replicas in a simulation apparently geared toward neutralizing the island's leadership, JINF told the outlet. —MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Oct. 2025

Adjective

What really makes the dress stand out is its chic details, which includes a structured seam around the waist, gold-tone decorative buttons, and a mock neckline. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2025

The eye-rolling, groaning, mock-despair brings the group together. —Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025

Adverb

Alwyn begins mock-pulling at his cheeks and widening his eyes at any talk of said face. —Vulture, 9 May 2022

Perhaps most famously, Mr. Remy and Orsillo, in between convulsions of laughter, mock-analyzed an incident in which one fan in the Fenway stands threw a slice of pizza at another in April 2007. —BostonGlobe.com, 31 Oct. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, Adjective, and Adverb

Middle English, from moker

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

circa 1625, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mock

• mock-heroic
• mock orange
• mock turtleneck
• mock turtle soup
• mock-up

Rhymes for mock

• balk
• baulk
• bloc
• bock
• broch
• brock
• calk
• caulk
• chalk
• chock
• clock
• cock

Kids Definition

mock

1 of 3 verb

ˈmäk 

ˈmȯk

1

: to treat with scorn : ridicule

mocked his ideas

2

: defy sense 2

don't mock the rules

3

: to make fun of by mimicking

mocker noun

mockingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb

mock

2 of 3 noun

1

: an act of mocking : jeer

2

: someone or something that is made fun of

mock

3 of 3 adjective

: not real : imitation