mockery

noun

ˈmä-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce mockery (audio)
Definition of mockerynext
1
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something the predetermined outcome of the hearings made them a mockery of true justice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of you won't make a mockery of me!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ridicule
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something insulted by their mockery of his mannerisms

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 mockery To be fair, a genre that’s given us everything from brooding, sparkling emo kids who play baseball; a stake-wielding teen slayer who can’t quit the bad boy; and eccentric sidekicks who feast on bugs is ripe with material for mockery. — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Another example is ridicule and mockery of stingy or braggadocious individuals, which keeps greed and bravado in check. — Christopher Von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026 The wide-open skies above her new home come to feel like a mockery of her circumstances, promising a boundlessness that remains out of reach. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026 The project is apparently intended to put the long-running laptop controversy behind Biden by turning the source of online mockery into a memecoin. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mockery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mockery
  1. parody
  2. joke
  3. ridicule
  4. caricature
  5. sham
Noun
  • There’s no winking at the audience, no sense of camp or parody, just a lot of appealing interactions, plus some wholly superfluous tertiary plots added to expand the story to series length.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The punch-worthy parody of Altman’s characterization ramps up once he’s motivated to push back against — or trample over — the safety guardrails that Ilya prizes above all else, but so does the depth of his world-breaking cynicism.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of parody
Noun
  • Its frothy, pastel hues and single moment of contrived levity (when one dance claims a trumpet solo for a joke about jamming her toe) is one of those quintessential examples of Balanchine’s repertoire showing its age.
    — Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • And the Longhorns’ quarterback, Arch Manning, was the butt of the joke.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • The lawsuit drew some ridicule from top executives, including at other companies, given the decline of cable TV and the rise of streaming, but the theatrical concerns were real.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Another example is ridicule and mockery of stingy or braggadocious individuals, which keeps greed and bravado in check.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of ridicule
Noun
  • Conversations around racial caricature have evolved; what was edgy feels painfully passé.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • As is the case with most election cycles, the claims and counterclaims about the ballot measures being voted on in California this time around are largely based on caricatures of the measures themselves.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of caricature
Noun
  • These sheets and shams are made from Oexo-Tex Certified Organic microfiber material that’s light but surprisingly resilient.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, the set comes with two shams to complete your sanctuary.
    — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sham

Browse Nearby Words

mockers
mockery
mocking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mockery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mockery. Accessed 19 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All