ridicule

noun

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rid·i·cule | \ ˈri-də-ˌkyül

Definition of ridicule

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the act of ridiculing : derision, mockery

ridicule

verb

ridiculed; ridiculing

Definition of ridicule (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make fun of

Other Words from ridicule Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about ridicule

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Synonyms for ridicule

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Choose the Right Synonym for ridicule

Verb

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

Examples of ridicule in a Sentence

Noun She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule. the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule Verb The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed. They ridiculed all of her suggestions.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The international drama captivated the world, drawing scrutiny and social media ridicule. — Frank Miles, Fox News, "Suez Canal ship's crew celebrates on video after Ever Given is freed," 30 Mar. 2021 Obviously stigmatized by the prediction, the child must overcome ridicule and an over-protective mother in order to live life to the fullest. — John Benson, cleveland, "‘Her Name is Chef’ and ‘Shoplifters of the World’ top this week’s streaming movies at Cleveland Cinemas and Cinematheque," 24 Mar. 2021 But backyards are meant for fumbling about, chipping latticework and hiding from ridicule. — BostonGlobe.com, "Lawn care for the lazy: Turns out being eco-friendly can be the easy way," 24 Mar. 2021 The campaign was somewhat half-baked, and has since drawn criticism and ridicule for its missteps. — Jacob Siegal, BGR, "Apple’s M1 chips might just be the beginning of Intel’s nightmare," 24 Mar. 2021 Most knowledgeable basketball people realized owner Donald Sterling was to blame for the franchise’s woes, while Baylor received both admiration for his tenacity and ridicule for the Clippers’ struggles. — Greg Beacham, Anchorage Daily News, "Elgin Baylor, Lakers great and aerialist pioneer, dies at 86," 23 Mar. 2021 Most knowledgeable basketball people realized Sterling was to blame for the franchise's woes, while Baylor received both admiration for his tenacity and ridicule for the Clippers' struggles. — Greg Beacham, Star Tribune, "Elgin Baylor, Lakers great and aerialist pioneer, dies at 86," 22 Mar. 2021 Most knowledgeable basketball people realized owner Donald Sterling was to blame for the franchise’s woes, while Baylor received both admiration for his tenacity and ridicule for the Clippers' struggles. — Greg Beacham, ajc, "Elgin Baylor, Lakers great and aerialist pioneer, dies at 86," 22 Mar. 2021 Humor – though not ridicule of the person – can work, too. — H. Colleen Sinclair, The Conversation, "7 ways to avoid becoming a misinformation superspreader," 18 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Mr Rigby may have been driven to ridicule the census by irritation at the intrusiveness of its questions, which were nosier than previously. — The Economist, "The 2021 Census Britain's census form reveals the obsessions of different eras," 20 Mar. 2021 Critics won't hesitate to ridicule a trial that tells jurors about Floyd's love for his family but not his crimes. — Albert W. Alschuler, Star Tribune, "'Spark of life' evidence could backfire in Floyd case," 18 Mar. 2021 In my experience, both gay and straight communities frequently ridicule those of us who identify as bisexual. — Christian Weissmann, Los Angeles Times, "I am not 50% gay and 50% straight. I am 100% bisexual.," 13 Mar. 2021 Rather than ridicule him, Sam and her friends bond with Long Duk Dong over their shared experience as immigrants. — Carlos Greaves, The New Yorker, "Plots of Nineteen-Eighties Movies if Their Protagonists Had Been People of Color," 27 Feb. 2021 This one is a Valentine's Day meme intended to ridicule the Milwaukee Police Department. — Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bice: County supervisor posts Valentine's Day meme mocking MPD over Molotov cocktail gaffe," 19 Feb. 2021 Trump’s speeches, yet most of them could reject it, or even share it in order to deride or ridicule it. — Siva Vaidhyanathan, The New Republic, "Making Sense of the Facebook Menace," 5 Jan. 2021 That’s been repeated a gazillion times, including from this corner, not because anybody wants to rip or ridicule the Cougars just for ripping’s and ridiculing’s sake. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Gordon Monson: How good is BYU, really? Maybe it doesn’t matter.," 27 Oct. 2020 As Christensen pointed out in his going-away column for McCrory in The News & Observer, the legislature even once used its floor time to publicly ridicule a bill that McCrory’s wife had worked on as first lady that sought to rein in puppy mills. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "The Legend of Roy Cooper," 26 Oct. 2020

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