1
as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
a literary snob, she invariably used the derisory term "the boob tube" when referring to television
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the pawnbroker offered what I regarded as a derisory amount for the diamond ring
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derisory
She was then remanded in a nunnery, given a derisory sentence — less than two years in jail — before being released with a presidential pardon.
—
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
The state media are full of derisory commentary about the alleged hypocrisy, decadence, and even blasphemy that is supposedly on display in Paris.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2024
There, the National Weather Service calculated the average wind speed to be a derisory 1.8 mph.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023
Often enough beautiful can be used as a derisory adjective in this context.
—Guy Trebay, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
But when people invest in their own solar panels and start producing electricity, the feed in tariff pays them back a derisory amount.
—Jemma Green, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022
There’s no escaping that the current ESG qualifications of most directors and executives is derisory, and mandatory disclosures would provide the stick to increase competency.
—Paul Polman, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2021
Arsenal are seemingly the latest club to have entered the Harry Maguire saga alongside Manchester United and Manchester City, only to make a derisory transfer enquiry for the Leicester and England centre back well below the Foxes' asking price.
—SI.com, 3 July 2019
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
The state media are full of derisory commentary about the alleged hypocrisy, decadence, and even blasphemy that is supposedly on display in Paris.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2024
There, the National Weather Service calculated the average wind speed to be a derisory 1.8 mph.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023
Often enough beautiful can be used as a derisory adjective in this context.
—Guy Trebay, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
But when people invest in their own solar panels and start producing electricity, the feed in tariff pays them back a derisory amount.
—Jemma Green, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022
There’s no escaping that the current ESG qualifications of most directors and executives is derisory, and mandatory disclosures would provide the stick to increase competency.
—Paul Polman, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2021
Arsenal are seemingly the latest club to have entered the Harry Maguire saga alongside Manchester United and Manchester City, only to make a derisory transfer enquiry for the Leicester and England centre back well below the Foxes' asking price.
—SI.com, 3 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derisory
Adjective
-
The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Drawing parallels between this unpopular war and World War II is ludicrous and insulting.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Because these interviews are edited and condensed, the parts of it that get cut out will retroactively make those parts of this present moment sort of ridiculous.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Recently, despite their consistent and ridiculous denials, it was found that Iran had built numerous missiles capable of reaching all over Europe.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This series is inspired by the shocking and absurd true story of the suburban dentist who built a drug empire behind the façade of the American dream.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
-
To consider Karaban as anything but an abject success story is absurd.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
All the scornful gazes of my schoolmates when Doc started to pick me up from campus had been worth it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Mar. 2026
-
During the decade since Hitler took power, women married to Jewish men defied scornful social, economic and political pressure, day after day.—
Danielle Wirsansky,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The politicians who shut down the government are pathetic on both sides of the aisle.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
-
His Floyd constantly straddles the line between sweet and pathetic, often falling off one side or the other.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sara Hershkowitz’s wildly contemptuous Queen adds further soprano glory.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
And Alexander Hamilton gets slightly better press than the other two, but he is shown as someone who is brilliant, but self-seeking, arrogant, snobbish, contemptuous of others, and profoundly two-faced.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The group never uses the word unless there is something silly going on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
For Grabinski, what unites all of these projects is the fine art of creating a world that is emotionally smart yet deeply silly, fun, and expressive.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
22 June 2019
-
Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.—
Sonja Haller,
USA TODAY,
11 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Derisory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derisory. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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