as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the derisive performances of some of the singers on the talent show
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Recent Examples of derisive
There is nothing quite like experiencing a truly terrible film with a room full of gleefully derisive bad-movie fans.
—
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2025
Earlier that day, Minaj had posted derisive comments about Roc Nation, suggesting the company had unsuccessfully tried to sign her.
—Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
While speaking to Jay Shetty on his podcast On Purpose in an episode released Wednesday, Watson spoke about the personal, derisive comments Rowling has made against her.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 25 Sep. 2025
The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative.
—Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derisive
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2025
Earlier that day, Minaj had posted derisive comments about Roc Nation, suggesting the company had unsuccessfully tried to sign her.
—Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
While speaking to Jay Shetty on his podcast On Purpose in an episode released Wednesday, Watson spoke about the personal, derisive comments Rowling has made against her.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 25 Sep. 2025
The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative.
—Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derisive
Adjective
-
Curry scored their last 13 points of regulation, punctuated by a ridiculous game-tying 35-footer.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The Daily News must remove the ridiculous TV crossword puzzles from Ricky Cruz and bring back Jacqueline Mathews.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The tongue-in-cheek and gleefully gory remake of a 1980s action fantasy is here for those needing some absurd escapism.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That push-and-pull is central to the show, which balances absurd, high-concept comedy with sharp emotional stakes.—
Sarah Rodman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
How could something that started off so silly suddenly turn harrowingly lethal?—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Crowds of bird fans carrying smartphones and cameras are craning daily for a look at its silly walk, while mostly maintaining a respectful distance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 'merch hauls' on social media are awful, the desperate pathetic influencers trying to clout chase using the Masters are all awful.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In a 2024 TikTok video that has reeled in over six million views, Welch shows the pathetic state of her softside suitcase upon her arrival at O’ahu.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And then the second one is grassroots and bottom up and the local solutions to this thing that is a stupid business model.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Allowing one nine years of eligibility is just stupid.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derisive. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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