RIDICULE Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'ridicule' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ridicule are deride , mock , and taunt . While all these words mean "to make an object of laughter of," ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling. // consistently ridiculed everything she said

Q: When is 'deride' a more appropriate choice than 'ridicule'?

The meanings of deride and ridicule largely overlap; however, deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule. // derided their efforts to start their own business

Q: In what contexts can 'mock' take the place of 'ridicule'?

The words mock and ridicule are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference. // youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

Q: When is it sensible to use 'taunt' instead of 'ridicule'?

While the synonyms taunt and ridicule are close in meaning, taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge. // hometown fans taunted the visiting team

ridicule 1 of 2

noun

ˈri-də-ˌkyül

Definition of ridicule next

as in contempt

the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule

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ridicule

2 of 2

verb

as in to mock

to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter the term "big bang theory" was originally coined to ridicule the belief that the universe was created by a giant explosion

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word ridicule distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ridicule are deride, mock, and taunt. While all these words mean "to make an object of laughter of," ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

When is deride a more appropriate choice than ridicule?

The meanings of deride and ridicule largely overlap; however, deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

In what contexts can mock take the place of ridicule?

The words mock and ridicule are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

When is it sensible to use taunt instead of ridicule?

While the synonyms taunt and ridicule are close in meaning, taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ridicule

Noun

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio similarly drew ridicule when he was caught using a knife and fork to eat pizza instead of grabbing the slice with his hands like any real New Yorker paisano would. —

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026 The Cybertruck’s angular design was divisive, and the attention-grabbing vehicle occasionally became the target of ridicule and vandalism when a backlash against Musk swelled last year. —

Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026

Verb

The subject of this engaging biography is the eighteenth-and-nineteenth-century naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who is often ridiculed as a faulty precursor to Darwin. —

The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 Though initially dismissed and even ridiculed, Mitchell went on to win the 1978 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his idea that a current of protons constantly flows into the cell as the cell vigorously pumps them back out, and that this is the driving force behind key cellular processes. —

Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ridicule

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ridicule

Noun

On one side is challenger Holly Cook, who has filed for bankruptcy twice, been held in contempt of court on nine counts, been pursued by multiple collections agencies and once was labeled a vexatious litigant, court records showed.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 2026
Betty repeatedly left lewd messages on the newlywed couple’s answering machine, to the point that Dan threatened to file criminal contempt charges, The Times reported at the time.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026

Definition of contempt

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ridging

ridicule

ridiculed

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“Ridicule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ridicule. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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Synonyms of ridicule

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