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.
the other kids mocked the way he laughed
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
Not long ago, Ferrari strategy was the subject of ridicule in so many internet memes set to theme songs from Benny Hill and The Office.—Rob Reed, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024 But sorry, who can listen to this and not think, this is abnormal?
Business
Column: California’s transgender sanctuary law survives a challenge as judge ridicules plaintiff’s claims
April 11, 2024
No one, other than people so addled by transgender-paranoia.—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
Verb
Neither Wayne nor Minaj have explicitly said it as part of their commentary on the Super Bowl decision, but the fact that Lamar has reinvigorated his career by publicly ridiculing their old friend and labelmate might add to the sting.—Christian Holub, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024 In fact, the flag has been widely ridiculed and was recently named one of the worst in the country.—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Sep. 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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