1
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
after yet another last place finish, the team became nothing more than a derision to all but its most loyal fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ridicule
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something
their absurd behavior on the awards show became a source of derision for comedians
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derision
From the moment Sandoval arrives at the castle in Episode 1, his mere presence incites derision.
—
Megan McCluskey, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
How to think about the people trolling Brian Thompson
Why has the public response to the killing of Thompson overwhelmingly been derision for the deceased and admiration for the unidentified shooter?
—Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2024
Trump’s proposed geographic switcheroo was greeted with widespread derision in Mexico and throughout Latin America.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
The gambit flopped, garnering poor ratings, critical derision, and internal strife.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for derision
Megan McCluskey, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
How to think about the people trolling Brian Thompson
Why has the public response to the killing of Thompson overwhelmingly been derision for the deceased and admiration for the unidentified shooter?
—Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2024
Trump’s proposed geographic switcheroo was greeted with widespread derision in Mexico and throughout Latin America.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
The gambit flopped, garnering poor ratings, critical derision, and internal strife.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for derision
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derision
Noun
-
After a joke about Adam Sandler’s fashion sense, O’Brien suddenly changed tone to address the devastation of the wildfires in Los Angeles, and how an awards show can seem self-indulgent if that context was not addressed.—
Annie Aguiar,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2025
-
But from a pure comedy standpoint, the joke was just basic—and unfunny.—
Esther Zuckerman,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Most South Africans are reacting to this with a mixture of disgust and ridicule.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced ridicule on social media on Saturday night following the Canadians’ loss to the U.S. in a 4 Nations Face-Off game.—
Ryan Gaydos,
Fox News,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
That target is the deepest of any office in the agency.—
Jennifer Ludden,
NPR,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The move to ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports is just one of the executive orders Trump has signed that target transgender people.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derision.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derision. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.
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