SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

ridicule

verb

To make someone or something the object of scornful amusement.

Compare the alternatives Definition and examples

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

Make an object of scorn

Closest synonyms

mock deride scoff at jeer at laugh at make fun of

Related words and expressions

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

Usage distinction

Ridicule treats someone or something as laughable. Parody imitates a style and can be affectionate; taunt aims more directly to provoke or hurt.

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See ridicule in use

The satire uses an absurd ceremony to ridicule empty displays of status.

Dictionary practice example.

A cartoonist chose to ridicule a museum guide's claims to perfect knowledge by drawing him pointing toward several contradictory destinations at once.

From Criticism in the Public Eye.

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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