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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derision
As the years went on, many challenges were increasingly viewed with derision, including a photo shoot in which contestants were made up to be different races and another in which a contestant whose mother had been shot and paralyzed was made to pose as a gunshot victim.
—
Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Martin’s decision to bury the DNC’s findings invited suspicion and derision.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
But the derision coming as a result of what Darnold has accomplished in Seattle is ultimately misguided.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derision
Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Martin’s decision to bury the DNC’s findings invited suspicion and derision.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
But the derision coming as a result of what Darnold has accomplished in Seattle is ultimately misguided.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derision
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derision
Noun
-
These headwinds, together with Spirit’s ongoing reputational challenges like being the target of jokes by late-night hosts and prominent press coverage of its two brushes with bankruptcy, likely account for Spirit’s satisfaction decline.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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As anachronisms constantly threaten to puncture the illusion, the cast stays wry, nimble and self-conscious in order to locate plot points and jokes that reinforce the golden-age radio setting, scribbling notes and introducing characters that propel them through ludicrous narrative arcs.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio similarly drew ridicule when he was caught using a knife and fork to eat pizza instead of grabbing the slice with his hands like any real New Yorker paisano would.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Cybertruck’s angular design was divisive, and the attention-grabbing vehicle occasionally became the target of ridicule and vandalism when a backlash against Musk swelled last year.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ultimately, the scammers appear to use their initial contractor targets as unsuspecting mules for the malware payload.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
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Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, cited Israel's continued attacks on targets inside Lebanon as a primary source of tension as his country and the United States engaged in peace talks in Islamabad.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Looking for trends after 20-something games is a fool’s errand, of course.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
There was always a comedian on somebody’s album doing a skit or some funny one-liners or in the video acting a fool.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derision.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derision. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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