derision
noun
de·ri·sion
di-ˈri-zhən 
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Where does derision come from?
Derision shares part of its origin with the words ridiculous and risible; all may be traced to the Latin verb ridēre (“to laugh”). From the time derision entered the English language in the 14th century, it has suggested laughter, albeit of a mocking or scornful variety. It may also be used to indicate an object of scornful laughter—that is, a laughingstock—as in the line from Lamentations 3:14 of the King James Version of the bible: “I was a derision to all my people.”
Synonyms
Examples of derision in a Sentence
My remarks were anodyne, but some other snippets of marginalia were shrieks of derision …
—
Paul Theroux, Granta 44, Summer 1993
Britain had its boffins, working researchers subject to the derision of intellectual gentlemen.
—James Gleick, Genius: The Life & Science of Richard Feynman, 1992
… discussion, laughter, lecturing, but no shouts or threats, no yardsticks banging for silence, no words of shame or derision.
—Lorene Cary, Black Ice, 1991
The whole idea of Camelot excites derision. In fact, I am sure Kennedy would have derided it himself. No one at the time ever thought of his Washington as Camelot.
—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Cycles of American History, 1986
One of the students laughed in derision at my error.
The team's awful record has made it an object of derision in the league.
“Nerd” is a term of derision.
Paul Theroux, Granta 44, Summer 1993
Britain had its boffins, working researchers subject to the derision of intellectual gentlemen.
—James Gleick, Genius: The Life & Science of Richard Feynman, 1992
… discussion, laughter, lecturing, but no shouts or threats, no yardsticks banging for silence, no words of shame or derision.
—Lorene Cary, Black Ice, 1991
The whole idea of Camelot excites derision. In fact, I am sure Kennedy would have derided it himself. No one at the time ever thought of his Washington as Camelot.
—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Cycles of American History, 1986
One of the students laughed in derision at my error.
The team's awful record has made it an object of derision in the league.
“Nerd” is a term of derision.
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead, Miliband was pressed in TV debates to admit that Labour had overspent, and his denial provoked widespread derision.
—Jonathan Hopkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 May 2015
Trump stood on stage for nearly two hours, touching the third rail of Wisconsin politics by overlapping with a Green Bay Packers game, drawing derision from Democrats.
—Adriana Gomez Licon, Twin Cities, 6 Oct. 2024
The targets of Brown’s derision, from gimmicky visual effects to ridiculous product placement to the endless social media war between inclusivity influencers and fanboys who hate female superheroes, have been roundly mocked for years.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
The Challenges Of A Multi-Generational Office Through the first decade of the 2000s, the generational derision was focused on millennials who entered the workforce with sharply differing beliefs from the Gen Xers who came before them.
—Kimberly Afonso, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derision 
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Jonathan Hopkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 May 2015
Trump stood on stage for nearly two hours, touching the third rail of Wisconsin politics by overlapping with a Green Bay Packers game, drawing derision from Democrats.
—Adriana Gomez Licon, Twin Cities, 6 Oct. 2024
The targets of Brown’s derision, from gimmicky visual effects to ridiculous product placement to the endless social media war between inclusivity influencers and fanboys who hate female superheroes, have been roundly mocked for years.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
The Challenges Of A Multi-Generational Office Through the first decade of the 2000s, the generational derision was focused on millennials who entered the workforce with sharply differing beliefs from the Gen Xers who came before them.
—Kimberly Afonso, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derision
Dictionary Entries Near derision
Cite this Entry
“Derision.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derision. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
derision
noun
de·ri·sion
di-ˈrizh-ən
: scornful ridicule
derisive
adjective
-ˈrī-siv
derisively
adverb
derisiveness
noun
derisory
adjective
-ˈrī-sə-rē
-zə-
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