derision
Americannoun
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ridicule; mockery.
The inept performance elicited derision from the audience.
-
an object of ridicule.
noun
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the act of deriding; mockery; scorn
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an object of mockery or scorn
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of derision
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English derisioun, from Old French derision, from Late Latin dērīsiōn-, stem of dērīsiō, from Latin dērīs(us) “mocked” (past participle of dērīdēre “to mock”; see deride) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If people are laughing at you, making fun of you, and acting as if you're worthless, they're treating you with derision. Derision is mean and attacking — it's a form of contempt. Derision is more than just making fun of someone — it's mocking someone so forcefully and with such venom that you discredit the person completely. Derision can include literally laughing at someone or just treating a person like a joke. You know how celebrities and politicians do embarrassing things from time to time? They're usually treated with derision afterward: people mock them, treat them with contempt, and try to make the person who messed up seem completely worthless.
Vocabulary lists containing derision
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Of Mice and Men
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Lord of the Flies
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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.
The contretemps about the visa scandal pushed #Andy — López Beltrán’s knickname — to the top of social media sites in Mexico, drawing both praise and derision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
It earned enough derision that El-Sayed put out a statement to his followers about how such comments were “unkind and unhelpful” and that if you supported him, “please stop.”
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
Those ideas were made manifest in lavish PR material conjuring up fantastical landscapes that attracted reams of coverage that mingled awe and derision.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Asking what his job title would be, he met with derision: “What title? Call yourself contessa if you want to!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
A photo of me sprawled on the shower floor—bound and green, wearing only a gray alien mask—had spread virally through SnowFlake, each new person who shared it heaping on derision.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
