1
as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
a literary snob, she invariably used the derisory term "the boob tube" when referring to television
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the pawnbroker offered what I regarded as a derisory amount for the diamond ring
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Recent Examples of derisory
She was then remanded in a nunnery, given a derisory sentence — less than two years in jail — before being released with a presidential pardon.
—
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
The state media are full of derisory commentary about the alleged hypocrisy, decadence, and even blasphemy that is supposedly on display in Paris.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2024
There, the National Weather Service calculated the average wind speed to be a derisory 1.8 mph.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023
Often enough beautiful can be used as a derisory adjective in this context.
—Guy Trebay, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
But when people invest in their own solar panels and start producing electricity, the feed in tariff pays them back a derisory amount.
—Jemma Green, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022
The contents of his elegant Tite Street home — roughly 2,000 books, all the furnishings, even the children’s toys — were sold at a bankruptcy auction for derisory sums.
—Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2021
There’s no escaping that the current ESG qualifications of most directors and executives is derisory, and mandatory disclosures would provide the stick to increase competency.
—Paul Polman, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2021
Arsenal are seemingly the latest club to have entered the Harry Maguire saga alongside Manchester United and Manchester City, only to make a derisory transfer enquiry for the Leicester and England centre back well below the Foxes' asking price.
—SI.com, 3 July 2019
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
The state media are full of derisory commentary about the alleged hypocrisy, decadence, and even blasphemy that is supposedly on display in Paris.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2024
There, the National Weather Service calculated the average wind speed to be a derisory 1.8 mph.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023
Often enough beautiful can be used as a derisory adjective in this context.
—Guy Trebay, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
But when people invest in their own solar panels and start producing electricity, the feed in tariff pays them back a derisory amount.
—Jemma Green, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022
The contents of his elegant Tite Street home — roughly 2,000 books, all the furnishings, even the children’s toys — were sold at a bankruptcy auction for derisory sums.
—Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2021
There’s no escaping that the current ESG qualifications of most directors and executives is derisory, and mandatory disclosures would provide the stick to increase competency.
—Paul Polman, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2021
Arsenal are seemingly the latest club to have entered the Harry Maguire saga alongside Manchester United and Manchester City, only to make a derisory transfer enquiry for the Leicester and England centre back well below the Foxes' asking price.
—SI.com, 3 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derisory
Adjective
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There would be nothing more insulting to our democracy, and to the memory of those who died in connection to that day, than letting rioters walk free.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
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This disastrous budget is even more insulting as Los Angeles County grapples with the devastation from four major fires.—
Bill Essayli,
Orange County Register,
11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Saquon Barkley put up more ridiculous numbers in the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFC Championship victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, leading to jabs at the New York Giants.—
Ryan Gaydos,
Fox News,
27 Jan. 2025
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Because 7½ minutes of real time to play 20 seconds of basketball is beyond ridiculous.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 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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What price female solidarity and empowerment, after all, if the weapon of actualization is an abusive system, one that invariably draws Santosh into its clubby, scornful, vigilante mindset?—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2025
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Yet feeling out of place has, ironically, brought Escola even closer to their Mary Todd Lincoln, whose fear that a scornful world might keep her offstage gives the show an unexpected pathos.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
2 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Something drastic has to be done with this pathetic group of men masquerading as basketball players.—
Ticked Off,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2025
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On Vanderpump Rules, this man was smug, pathetic, punchable.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Tamil Nadu’s leaders have long been openly contemptuous of Hindu nationalism, and their governing philosophy represents a powerful alternative to Modi’s worldview.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2025
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The Supreme Court could potentially blow up this trend The largest threat to the trend of fewer death sentences and executions is the Supreme Court’s Republican supermajority, which is often contemptuous of precedents handed down by earlier justices who Republican legal elites view as too liberal.—
Ian Millhiser,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
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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This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
22 June 2019
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Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.—
Sonja Haller,
USA TODAY,
11 July 2018
Thesaurus Entries Near derisory
Cite this Entry
“Derisory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derisory. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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