Synonyms

deride

American

[dih-rahyd] / dɪˈraɪd /

verb (used with object)

derided, deriding

to laugh at in scorn or contempt; scoff or jeer at; mock.

Synonyms:

rally, banter, gibe, flout, taunt

deride British

/ dɪˈraɪd /

verb

(tr) to speak of or treat with contempt, mockery, or ridicule; scoff or jeer at

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See ridicule.

Other Word Forms

derider noun
deridingly adverb
overderide verb (used with object)
underided adjective

Etymology

Origin of deride

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin dērīdēre “to mock,” equivalent to dē- de- + rīdēre “to laugh”

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.

But making them sound like centuries old technology is a way to deride their worth.

From BBC • Jul. 29, 2025

It has always been popular, and continues to be popular, to make fun of lawyers, to deride lawyers, to denigrate lawyers, and I get that we deserve a lot of what we get.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2025

Fans have collections numbering in the hundreds, while critics deride them as kitsch.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

But to deride it as such is to ignore all the episode delivered in exchange for putting off a climactic confrontation of samurais.

From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2024

And so against ill-fashion's tide, With faithful wills untaught to swerve, Though cold philosophy deride, The saints hold on and calmly bide His season whom they serve.

From A Century of Emblems by Cautley, G. S.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023