derisory
Britishadjective
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subject to or worthy of derision, esp because of being ridiculously small or inadequate
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another word for derisive
Explanation
The adjective derisory means so absurd that it makes you laugh, like your friend's derisory offer to buy your valuable baseball card collection for a dollar. You can use this adjective in two ways. First, it means "ridiculously inadequate." Things in this category include derisory pay for doing a difficult job and the derisory punishment your sister gets for stealing your Halloween candy. The second meaning is "mocking or expressing contempt," basically a synonym for derisive. The Latin root of both words is deridere, "to ridicule."
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.
Notwithstanding the derisory mood of the 1970s, the sense of loss and of destiny denied would arrive much later.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
"All too often, the sentences handed down against the perpetrators of antisemitic offences and crimes seem derisory," he said.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
Sir Alan first received an offer of redress in January 2024, which he rejected, describing it as "cruel and derisory".
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025
Kevin Lindsay, Scotland organiser for Aslef, previously warned that train drivers were likely to launch industrial action due to the "derisory" pay offer from ScotRail.
From BBC • Jul. 13, 2024
She gave him a derisory little nod—and in a minute was well up the lawn, towards the castle.
From The Cardinal's Snuff-Box by Harland, Henry
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.
