as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the derisive performances of some of the singers on the talent show
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Recent Examples of derisive
No matter its critics or the accumulation of derisive labels—corporate feminism, girlboss feminism, lean-in feminism, white feminism—a feminism of self-interested striving is the order of the day.
—
Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
Montagu published a substantial essay on Shakespeare, defending him against a derisive assessment by Voltaire, which helped to elevate the Bard’s reputation and to connect it lastingly with English national identity.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un fired off fierce, derisive rhetoric against South Korea in a key ruling party meeting at the end of December.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
Plenty have judged The Idea of You before even seeing it, labeling it Harry Styles fan fiction with a derisive snort.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for derisive 
Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
Montagu published a substantial essay on Shakespeare, defending him against a derisive assessment by Voltaire, which helped to elevate the Bard’s reputation and to connect it lastingly with English national identity.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un fired off fierce, derisive rhetoric against South Korea in a key ruling party meeting at the end of December.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
Plenty have judged The Idea of You before even seeing it, labeling it Harry Styles fan fiction with a derisive snort.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for derisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derisive
Adjective
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Abusing someone’s wife because their husband hasn’t scored a goal in a specific game is ridiculous.—
Art de Roché,
The Athletic,
14 Jan. 2025
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Amusingly, Musk’s character held two shields, a ridiculous burden that offers no tactical advantage whatsoever—this is the kind of game where a slightly heavier helmet can make a serious difference.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Lies, no matter how absurd, gain traction the more they're repeated.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
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In yet another absurd Elon Musk news story, it's been revealed that people are betting on how many times the owner of X will post on his platform in a week.—
Jibin Joseph,
PCMAG,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Couple Next Door The Bottom Line PG-13 partner-swapping upstaged by silly thriller subplots.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Jan. 2025
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In the unreliable reality the older Owen inhabits, his favorite childhood show was in fact silly, sloppy, and decidedly low-stakes.—
Samantha Allen,
Them,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In the final, pathetic weeks of his failed presidency, Joe Biden has been casting about desperately for a positive legacy.—
Jack Butler,
National Review,
12 Jan. 2025
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The 10th pick will be your usual pathetic Bear player.—
Jon Greenberg,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near derisive
Cite this Entry
“Derisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derisive. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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