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
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 ridiculeVerb
The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed.
They ridiculed all of her suggestions.
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Noun
Commercials that show more diversity in family groups and romantic partners, including same-sex couples and interracial families, may over time decrease the ridicule and discrimination experienced by those who are living in nontraditional family settings.—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026 Many parents are afraid to go on the record against a school or coach for fear of retribution against their son or daughter, so for a teenager to go out on the limb and put himself up to possible ridicule was both stunning and courageous.—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Verb
And while that move was ridiculed across baseball at the time, another decision Turner made — far more consequential but no less revolutionary — put his franchise on a trajectory to become one of the most popular in the sport.—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 6 May 2026 On Thursday, though, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf – who is leading negotiations for Tehran and has emerged as the key voice of the Iranian government – ridiculed the notion of blockading Iran, pointing to the country’s extensive land and maritime borders.—Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ridicule
Word History
Etymology
Noun
French or Latin; French, from Latin ridiculum jest