mockery

noun

mock·​ery ˈmä-k(ə-)rē 

ˈmȯ-

plural mockeries

1

: insulting or contemptuous action or speech : derision

laying himself open to the jeers and mockeries of his rebellious subjects

—E. A. Freeman

2

: a subject of laughter, derision, or sport

making him turn himself into a merry mockery of all he had once held dear

—O. St. John Gogarty

3

a

: a counterfeit appearance : imitation

if it was not a man it was a huge and grotesque mockery of man

—E. R. Burroughs

b

: an insincere, contemptible, or impertinent (see impertinent sense 1a) imitation

makes a mockery of justice

4

: something ridiculously or impudently (see impudent sense 1) unsuitable

in her bitterness she felt that all rejoicing was mockery

—George Eliot

Synonyms

• caricature
• cartoon
• farce
• joke
• parody
• sham
• travesty

Examples of mockery in a Sentence

His kind of personality invites mockery.

the children's cruel mockery of each other

Recent Examples on the Web

These days, Musk’s guarantees of revolutionary tech just around the corner tend to occasion plenty of doubt and mockery. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024

Despite the backlash and mockery, the now-infamous event is returning, and this time in Los Angeles, California, according to an event page that popped up on Eventbrite. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

Pointing Fingers: Ukrainians have reacted with a mixture of concern and mockery to the narrative pushed by the Kremlin and Russian state media that Ukraine was behind the concert hall attack, a claim made despite the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility. —Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024

The goal is no mystery: to sweeten the deal by putting the names of the sponsors into the mouths of fans and commentators, notwithstanding the criticism and mockery that has arisen. —Sahil Kapur, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2024

Like Andrew himself, once the interview is over, Thirsk thinks everything has gone smoothly, that is until the avalanche of mockery from social media breaks once the interview is broadcast, revealed in a triumphalist montage. —Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024

As a result of the mockery, Rodin withdrew the work, and it was not cast in bronze until 1939, 22 years after his death. —Victor Mather, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024

In fact, one of the clips from Trump’s speech on Saturday which got the most coverage was his mockery of Biden’s stutter: a churlish—and, no doubt, premeditated—slur. —Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024

Mocking others The undisputed master of mockery is Donald Trump, whose insulting nicknames have proved particularly sticky. —Christian Stadler, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mockery

• self-mockery

Kids Definition

mockery

noun

mock·​ery ˈmäk-(ə-)rē 

ˈmȯk-

plural mockeries

1

: insulting action or speech

2

: someone or something that is laughed at

3

: a ridiculous or poor imitation