as in deriding
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter
the term "big bang theory" was originally coined to ridicule the belief that the universe was created by a giant explosion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fooling
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ridiculing
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Bianco has repeatedly made public comments ridiculing the relatives of the dead.
—Christopher Damien, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
At times, Phillips’ dialogue seems to be ridiculing his screenplay’s own improbability and sloppy logic gaps, as well as the genre itself.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
The post was met with accounts celebrating the withdrawal and ridiculing past decisions.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
But instead of reciprocating, Lila told him to get away from her and started ridiculing him.
—Krista Stevens, Longreads, 5 Dec. 2024
The Indian government has responded by denying the allegations and ridiculing Ottawa.
—Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2024
The crypto community is ridiculing filmmaker Cullen Hoback for producing a documentary criticized for its lack of factual accuracy and its heavy reliance on suspense over substance.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024
Despite critics ridiculing the spending practices in some states -- leading to tense debates about learning loss -- education experts told ABC News the summer programming and high-impact tutoring proved to be vital in academic recovery.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2024
Noun
Trump has also criticized President Obama’s Nobel Prize, ridiculing it during a 2020 rally.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Bianco has repeatedly made public comments ridiculing the relatives of the dead.
—Christopher Damien, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
At times, Phillips’ dialogue seems to be ridiculing his screenplay’s own improbability and sloppy logic gaps, as well as the genre itself.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
The post was met with accounts celebrating the withdrawal and ridiculing past decisions.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
But instead of reciprocating, Lila told him to get away from her and started ridiculing him.
—Krista Stevens, Longreads, 5 Dec. 2024
The Indian government has responded by denying the allegations and ridiculing Ottawa.
—Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2024
The crypto community is ridiculing filmmaker Cullen Hoback for producing a documentary criticized for its lack of factual accuracy and its heavy reliance on suspense over substance.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024
Despite critics ridiculing the spending practices in some states -- leading to tense debates about learning loss -- education experts told ABC News the summer programming and high-impact tutoring proved to be vital in academic recovery.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ridiculing
Verb
-
Authoritarians historically come for the comics first, and most recently under Putin, satirist Idrak Mirzalizade was jailed and deported for mocking Russian housing.—
Lizz Winstead,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
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Brian stumbles back to his father’s tent, where an angry Simon takes his frustration over Uncle Mac’s mocking out on his son.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Noun
-
The length has been shortened to create a boxy silhouette and the ribbing at the hem was adjusted for a stronger tension.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Still, the good-natured ribbing never let up.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ridiculing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ridiculing. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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