ridicule

American  

[rid-i-kyool] / ˈrɪd ɪˌkyul /

noun

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

   Synonyms:

   irony, satire, sarcasm, raillery, mockery

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verb (used with object)

ridiculed, ridiculing

1. to deride; make fun of.

   Synonyms:

   lampoon, satirize, burlesque, twit, rally, chaff, banter

ridicule British  

/ ˈrɪdɪˌkjuːl /

noun

1. language or behaviour intended to humiliate or mock; derision

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verb

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

Related Words

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 Word Forms

• ridiculer noun
• self-ridicule noun
• unridiculed adjective

Etymology

Origin of ridicule

First recorded in 1665–75; from Latin rīdiculum “a joke,” equivalent to rīdēre “to laugh” + -i- -i- + -culum -cule ²

Related Words

• caricature
• contempt
• derision
• disdain
• jeer
• laughter
• mockery
• parody
• sarcasm
• satire
• scorn
• taunt
• taunting