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SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

derision

noun

Mockery that expresses contempt.

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Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

Contemptuous mockery

Closest synonyms

ridiculemockeryscornscoffingjeeringtaunting

Related words and expressions

contemptuous laughtersneering

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Taunting aims to provoke; derision expresses contempt through ridicule.

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CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See derision in use

The unrealistic proposal was met with derision.
Dictionary practice example.
The organizer's derision of one student's careful notes took the form of contemptuous imitation intended to make the rest of the room laugh at her.
From Attention That Is Not Welcome.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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