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ridicule

[ rid-i-kyool ]
/ ˈrɪd ɪˌkyul /
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See synonyms for: ridicule / ridiculed / ridicules / ridiculing on Thesaurus.com

noun

speech or action intended to cause contemptuous laughter at a person or thing; derision.

verb (used with object), rid·i·culed, rid·i·cul·ing.

to deride; make fun of.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
their
there
they're
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Origin of ridicule

First recorded in 1665–75; from Latin rīdiculum “a joke,” equivalent to rīdēre “to laugh” + -i--i- + -culum-cule2

synonym study for ridicule

2. Ridicule, deride, mock, taunt imply making game of a person, usually in an unkind, jeering way. To ridicule is to make fun of, either sportively and good-humoredly, or unkindly with the intention of humiliating: to ridicule a pretentious person. To deride is to assail one with scornful laughter: to deride a statement of belief. To mock is sometimes playfully, sometimes insultingly, to imitate and caricature the appearance or actions of another: She mocked the seriousness of his expression. To taunt is to call attention to something annoying or humiliating, usually maliciously and exultingly and often in the presence of others: to taunt a candidate about his defeat in an election.

OTHER WORDS FROM ridicule

rid·i·cul·er, nounself-rid·i·cule, nounun·rid·i·culed, adjective

Words nearby ridicule

Ridgewood, Ridgway, ridgy, ridgy-didge, ridic, ridicule, ridiculous, riding, riding boot, riding breeches, riding crop
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to ridicule

caricature, mockery, sarcasm, jeer, disdain, satire, derision, taunt, scorn, laughter, contempt, parody, taunting, scoff, lampoon, deride, mock, humiliate, disparagement, slam

Example sentences from the Web for ridicule

British Dictionary definitions for ridicule

ridicule
/ (ˈrɪdɪˌkjuːl) /

noun

language or behaviour intended to humiliate or mock; derision

verb

(tr) to make fun of, mock, or deride

Derived forms of ridicule

ridiculer, noun

Word Origin for ridicule

C17: from French, from Latin rīdiculus, from rīdēre to laugh
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
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