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

Students build complex formulas to perform everything from risk-and-return calculations for stock portfolios to mock video game avatar tracking systems. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026

In Watsonville, a Pajaro Valley school board member publicly ranted against the Jewish community, and at a Berkeley Unified school board meeting, a mother reporting Jewish slurs was mocked, and subsequently her job information was posted online, the suit states. —City News Service, Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026

Noun

But most mocks have Concepcion taken between picks 20 and 40. —Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026

What else does this mock tell us about what could unfold 63 days from now in Pittsburgh? —The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026

Adjective

Now a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion, Mendoza is considered bound for Brady’s Raiders by virtually all predictions and mock drafts — or anyone who is even mildly informed on this year’s draft. —David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026

The mock interview Friday was part of the district’s annual OSD Transition Fair, a two-day event that connects students with disabilities to post-secondary opportunities. —Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026

Adverb

Just around the bend was an entire tangle of them—mothers with babies, juveniles mock-charging each other, a languid patriarch on his back. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025

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

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