ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.
consistently ridiculed everything she said
deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.
derided their efforts to start their own business
mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.
youngsters began to mock the helpless wino
taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.
hometown fans taunted the visiting team
Examples of ridicule in a Sentence
Noun
She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule.
the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridiculeVerb
The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed.
They ridiculed all of her suggestions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The dirty tricksters generating a steady smokescreen of ridicule will not succeed.—David Marks, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024 Van Tassel began to market the site as a different kind of resort — one where like-minded people could gather to discuss otherworldly beliefs without fear of ridicule or persecution and, perhaps, even hear messages from other planets.—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2024
Verb
In Bruen, Thomas ridiculed Justice Stephen Breyer’s dissent (with which justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan concurred).—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024 Donald Trump bullies his way through life, feeding his ego and ridiculing anyone who fails to show him sufficient fidelity.—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for ridicule
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
French or Latin; French, from Latin ridiculum jest
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