ridicule Hear it!

ridicule Definition

ridi·cule (rid′i kyo̵̅o̅l′)

noun

    1. the act of making someone or something the object of scornful laughter by joking, mocking, etc.; derision
    2. words or actions intended to produce such laughter
  2. Archaic
    1. an absurdity
    2. foolishness

Etymology: Fr < L ridiculum, a jest, laughable (thing), neut. of ridiculus, laughable, comical < ridere, to laugh < IE *wrizd-, to avert the face (> Sans vrīda, embarrassment) < base *wer-, to turn

transitive verb -·culed′, -·cul′·ing

to make the object of scornful laughter; make fun of; deride

ridicule Synonyms

ridicule

n.

derision, mockery, scorn, contempt, disdain, jeer, leer, disparagement, sneer, rally, flout, fleer, twit, taunt, taunting, making fun of, poking fun, burlesque, caricature, satire, parody, travesty, irony, sarcasm, persiflage, chaff, raillery, badinage, farce, buffoonery, horseplay, foolery, needle*, razz*, rib*, ribbing*, joshing*, ragging*, roast*, raspberry*, horse laugh*.

Antonyms praise*, commendation*, approval.

ridicule Synonyms

ridicule

v.

make fun of, deride, mock, taunt, gibe at, scoff at, sneer at, laugh at, point at, grin at, banter, mimic, jeer, tease, twit, chaff, disparage, belittle, flout, scorn, make sport of, poke fun at, fleer, rally, burlesque, caricature, show up, unmask, expose, satirize, parody, lampoon, cartoon, travesty, run down, make a laughing stock of, deflate, put down*, send up*, take off on*, josh*, rag*, razz*, rib*, guy*, ride*, give the Bronx cheer*, pull someone's leg*, point the finger of scorn, have a fling at*, roast*, pan*. *

Antonyms honor, approve*, applaud.

ridicule implies making fun of someone or something but does not necessarily connote malice or hostility he ridiculed her attempts to speak Greek; deride suggests scorn or malicious contempt in ridiculing to deride another's beliefs; mock implies contemptuous ridiculing, esp. by caricaturing another's peculiarities it is cruel to mock his lisp; taunt implies insulting ridicule and often an attempt to provoke, esp. by jeering and repeatedly calling attention to some humiliating fact they taunted him about his failure

ridicule Usage Examples

Object

  • notion: However, Evans has ridiculed the notion that his players were ' juiced ' on anabolic chemicals.
  • idea: Is your new approach to try and ridicule the idea that a battle took place here in 1066?
  • people: God says: 0 believers, no people shall ridicule another people.

Converse of object

  • provoke: In any other walk of life, a 44-year-old man introducing his dental work to another might provoke ridicule or disgust.
  • heap: There certainly is ridicule heaped on the UFO subject.
  • invite: To get no further than the foundation is to invite ridicule.
  • throw: He did not wish to throw ridicule and obloquy upon the petition, but he did throw ridicule and obloquy upon the hon.
  • suffer: Most people opposing the system could be silenced by financial pressure, or suffer public ridicule.
  • attract: I mean, running is the kind of thing that could attract public ridicule.

Adjective modifier

  • public: Now my bizarre tastes are open for public ridicule.
  • much: Jenner found a great deal of skepticism to his ideas and was subject to much ridicule.
  • international: In the face of domestic hostility and international ridicule and condemnation, Mr Blair took us to war with Iraq last spring.

Modifying Another Word

  • publicly: It is also causing the church to be publicly ridiculed - witness a recent article in The Mirror.
  • widely: At the time we were widely ridiculed, full employment, we were told, was never again going to be a realistic policy.
  • often: He was often ridiculed for his association with what was, at the time, considered a crank religion.
  • even: Unfortunately grown ups will often dismiss this as a normal attachment to an imaginary friend and may even ridicule the child.
  • then: The best way to deal with Holocaust deniers is to let them say their piece and then ridicule them for the nuts they are.
  • much: Normally through that much ridiculed part of the human anatomy - your back-side.

Preposition: in

press: There are far too many occasions when Members of all parties are ridiculed in the press and media.

Preposition: by

press: The decision was greeted with surprise and some ridicule by the British press.