laughingstocks

noun

plural of laughingstock
as in jokes
a person or thing that is made fun of his nerdy clothes made him the laughingstock of the schoolyard

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 laughingstocks After going from perennial laughingstocks to legitimate contenders over the last two years, the Detroit Lions could be poised for their best season yet. — Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughingstocks
  1. jokes
  2. fools
  3. targets
Noun
  • The jokes have spread across X, Reddit and other platforms, turning a corporate leadership crisis with potentially serious national security implications into a seemingly endless supply of entertainment.
    — Steve Mollman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2026
  • Offill sprinkles in jokes to highlight the unnerving selfishness and relentless competition of humanity in the face of horror.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of jokes
Noun
  • Major search sites and every buyer’s agent can still see how long it’s been for sale, and a home that vanishes for a few days and returns at the same price fools no one.
    — Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But Thomas and Erika are no fools, coolly telling off smiling Hitler sympathizers during a tony reception.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fools
Noun
  • Its onboard guidance architecture combines multiple technologies to help identify targets without depending entirely on external navigation or communication links.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The switch to McCarthy has clearly impacted his targets and yardage, but in their Week 5 tie against Washington, Likely was virtually uncoverable against the Commanders’ linebackers and secondary.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of targets

Browse Nearby Words

laughingstock
laughingstocks
laugh off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Laughingstocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughingstocks. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All