1
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of after yet another last place finish, the team became nothing more than a derision to all but its most loyal fans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in ridicule
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something their absurd behavior on the awards show became a source of derision for comedians

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of derision Most public charging warnings are met with a fair amount of cyber derision. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 On social media, news of his passing was met with apathy and derision by younger people who never knew him as a champion, only as a right-wing punchline. John Devore, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025 In this case, the assertion this month by the Justice Department and the FBI that the Epstein case was over and done with was met by derision and disbelief among some of the president's most loyal supporters. USA Today, 20 July 2025 Any such derision did not hinder the show’s success. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for derision
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derision
Noun
  • The uproar was centered around conservative outcry over a joke Kimmel told last week about the suspect accused of shooting Charlie Kirk.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
  • This leads to many, many, many jokes about Chad’s diminished mental capacity, including references to Radio, Slingblade and more.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Students should be encouraged to converse with their AI tutor without fear of ridicule for asking questions in class.
    Steve Grubbs, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • His congressional pawns could have passed a law outlawing ridicule of the president.
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Many of these hospitals and clinics became the target of protests or bomb threats.
    Jacob Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Jezero's altitude rules it out as a target, however.
    Andrew Jones, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Wahlberg plays a holy fool in Boogie Nights, our naïve but well-endowed guide through the heyday of theatrical pornography and its decline into something cheaper and tawdrier courtesy of the triumph of VHS.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Only a talent, or a complete fool, would cover an Adele song for their Blind Audition.
    Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Derision.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derision. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on derision

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!