mock
Americanverb (used with object)
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to attack or treat with ridicule, contempt, or derision.
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to ridicule by mimicry of action or speech; mimic derisively.
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to mimic, imitate, or counterfeit.
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to challenge; defy.
His actions mock convention.
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to deceive, delude, or disappoint.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a contemptuous or derisive imitative action or speech; mockery or derision.
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something mocked or derided; an object of derision.
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an imitation; counterfeit; fake.
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Shipbuilding.
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a hard pattern representing the surface of a plate with a warped form, upon which the plate is beaten to shape after furnacing.
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Also called mock mold. bed.
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adjective
verb phrase
verb
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to behave with scorn or contempt (towards); show ridicule (for)
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(tr) to imitate, esp in fun; mimic
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(tr) to deceive, disappoint, or delude
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(tr) to defy or frustrate
the team mocked the visitors' attempt to score
noun
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the act of mocking
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a person or thing mocked
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a counterfeit; imitation
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informal (often plural) (in England and Wales) the school examinations taken as practice before public examinations
adjective
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sham or counterfeit
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serving as an imitation or substitute, esp for practice purposes
a mock battle
mock finals
Synonym Usage
See ridicule.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have mockedperfect
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has mockedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been mockingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been mockingperfect progressive
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mockingparticiple
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is mockingprogressive 3rd person singular
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mockssingular 3rd person
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are mockingprogressive
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am mockingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had mockedperfect
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had been mockingperfect progressive
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were mockingprogressive plural
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was mockingprogressive singular
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mockedparticiple
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mockedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of mock
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English mokken, from Middle French mocquer
Explanation
Imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, but to mock is to make fun of or mimic someone with contempt, ridicule or derision. "Louise’s favorite pastime was to mock her brother’s inability to sing on key." The verb mock — as in the use that inspired the name of the mockingbird — can be simple imitation but, more often, to mock someone is to show disdain through mimicry or parody. As an adjective, mock indicates a fake or a simulation: "The design team made the most fabulous mock Eiffel Tower for our staging of An American in Paris." "His mock gratitude was, at times, unbearable."
Vocabulary lists containing mock
The Diary of Anne Frank
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Nothing But the Truth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mock arrived at Martin’s desk with ambitions that would similarly break from legal tradition, seeking the impeachment of the entire D.C. bench.
From Slate • May 28, 2026
Students played the roles of different countries, gave speeches, and "negotiated" with one another to strike international deals at the "Mock COP" conference held on Wednesday.
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025
“He’d been waiting all summer to begin touring… He had whiteboard sessions for hours. Mock debates. He was just so excited.”
From Salon • Sep. 21, 2025
Mock Drafts from NFL.com and Yahoo Sports have the Chargers selecting Michigan’s single-season record holder for receptions by a tight end in the first round.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025
Mock Turtle I never went to him; he taught Laughing and Grief, they used to say.
From Alice in Wonderland A Dramatization of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" by Gerstenberg, Alice
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
