Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense ridicules, present participle ridiculing, past tense, past participle ridiculed
1. verb
If you ridicule someone or ridicule their ideas or beliefs, you make fun of them in an unkind way.
I admired her all the more for allowing them to ridicule her and never striking back. [VERB noun]
I don't think his faith should be ridiculed. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: laugh at, mock, make fun of, make a fool of More Synonyms of ridicule
2. uncountable noun
If someone or something is an object of ridicule or is held up to ridicule, someone makes fun of them in an unkind way.
As a heavy child, she became the object of ridicule from classmates.
The process of judicial selection was held up to ridicule.
Davis was subjected to public ridicule.
Synonyms: mockery, scorn, derision, laughter More Synonyms of ridicule
ridicule in British English
(ˈrɪdɪˌkjuːl)
noun
1.
language or behaviour intended to humiliate or mock; derision
verb
2. (transitive)
to make fun of, mock, or deride
Derived forms
ridiculer (ˈridiˌculer)
noun
Word origin
C17: from French, from Latin rīdiculus, from rīdēre to laugh
ridicule in American English
(ˈrɪdɪˌkjul)
noun
1.
a.
the act of making someone or something the object of scornful laughter by joking, mocking, etc.; derision
b.
words or actions intended to produce such laughter
2. Archaic
a.
an absurdity
b.
foolishness
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈridiˌculed or ˈridiˌculing
3.
to make the object of scornful laughter; make fun of; deride
SYNONYMY NOTE: ridicule implies a making fun of someone or something but does not necessarily connote maliceor hostility [he ridiculed her new hairdo]; deride suggests scorn or malicious contempt in ridiculing [to deride another's beliefs]; mock implies a contemptuous ridiculing, esp. by caricaturing another's peculiarities [it is cruel to mock his lisp]; taunt1 implies insulting ridicule, esp. by jeering and repeatedly calling attention to somehumiliating fact [they taunted him about his failure]
Word origin
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
Examples of 'ridicule' in a sentence
ridicule
I drove home in tears - not because of my small size but because of the public ridicule.
The Sun (2016)
And yet to say such things in public is to invite shock and ridicule.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We mock their answers in press conferences and ridicule their accents.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
That way lies ridicule and political defeat.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So they are the subject of being mocked and ridiculed.
The Sun (2013)
It is unacceptable that it is ridiculed in this way.
The Sun (2011)
Many scoffed at the absurdity of the claims and the great detective writer was held up to public ridicule.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They invited further ridicule by inviting offers for the club by e-mail.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They need friends, not ridicule in the press.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
People are mocked and ridiculed, which is hard to take.
The Sun (2007)
There is barely a frame of this film that doesn't invite ridicule and incredulity.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Public indifference to politics has given way to ridicule, contempt and scorn.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There have been terrible moments that invited ridicule and soul-searching.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Holy ridicule does not mock the serious things of life, only those who take themselves too seriously.
Christianity Today (2000)
In 2002 she suffered a reaction to a collagen injection in her lips and her appearance was ridiculed in the press.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Promises that they will have air conditioning to reduce the temperatures have been widely ridiculed as no such system has been tried before in a stadium.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But if members of a group hold beliefs that are widely ridiculed, the ridicule undermines their credibility and dignity in many respects.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
Musicians jam, artists commune, comedians invite public ridicule.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The proposal has been widely ridiculed in Greece, and lawyers have said that it could face legal challenges.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I got mocked and ridiculed, but my time has come, oh yes.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
ridicule
British English: ridicule VERB
If you ridicule someone or ridicule their ideas or beliefs, you make fun of them in an unkind way.
I admired her all the more for allowing them to ridicule her and never striking back.
American English: ridicule
Brazilian Portuguese: ridicularizar
Chinese: 嘲笑
European Spanish: ridiculizar
French: ridiculiser
German: verspotten
Italian: ridicolizzare
Japanese: ばかにする
Korean: 조롱하다
European Portuguese: ridicularizar
Latin American Spanish: ridiculizar
Chinese translation of 'ridicule'
ridicule
(ˈrɪdɪkjuːl)
vt
(= mock)[person, proposal]嘲讽(諷) (cháofěng)
n(u)
嘲笑 (cháoxiào)
to be the object of ridicule成为(為)嘲笑的对(對)象 (chéngwéi cháoxiào de duìxiàng)
(verb)
Definition
to make fun of or mock
I admire her for allowing them to ridicule her.
Synonyms
laugh at
mock
I thought you were mocking me.
make fun of
make a fool of
humiliate
taunt
Other youths taunted him about his clothes.
sneer at
parody
It was easy to parody his rather pompous manner of speaking.
caricature
Her political career has been caricatured in the newspapers.
jeer at
scoff at
deride
This theory is widely derided by conventional scientists.
send up (British, informal)
lampoon
He was lampooned for his short stature and political views.
poke fun at
take the piss (out of) (taboo, slang)
chaff
take the mickey out of (informal)
satirize
The newspaper satirized our political leaders.
pooh-pooh
Some people pooh-pooh the idea that gardens can be an art form.
laugh out of court
make a monkey out of
make someone a laughing stock
laugh to scorn
(noun)
Definition
language or behaviour intended to humiliate or mock
He was subjected to public ridicule.
Synonyms
mockery
Was there a glint of mockery in his eyes?
scorn
They greeted the proposal with scorn.
derision
He tried to calm them but was greeted with shouts of derision.
laughter
irony
She examined his face for a hint of irony, but found none.
rib
taunting
sneer
Best-selling authors may have to face the sneers of the literati.
satire
It's an easy target for satire.
jeer
the heckling and jeers of his audience
banter
She heard them exchanging good-natured banter.
sarcasm
His voice was heavy with sarcasm.
chaff
gibe
raillery
banter
She heard them exchanging good-natured banter.
related words
related phobiakatagelophobia
Additional synonyms
in the sense of banter
Definition
teasing or joking conversation
She heard them exchanging good-natured banter.
Synonyms
joking,
kidding (informal),
ribbing (informal),
teasing,
jeering,
quipping,
mockery,
derision,
jesting,
chaff,
pleasantry,
repartee,
wordplay,
joshing,
badinage,
chaffing,
raillery,
persiflage
in the sense of banter
Definition
teasing or joking conversation
She heard them exchanging good-natured banter.
Synonyms
joking,
kidding (informal),
ribbing (informal),
teasing,
jeering,
quipping,
mockery,
derision,
jesting,
chaff,
pleasantry,
repartee,
wordplay,
joshing,
badinage,
chaffing,
raillery,
persiflage
in the sense of caricature
Definition
to make a caricature of
Her political career has been caricatured in the newspapers.
Synonyms
parody,
take off (informal),
mock,
distort,
ridicule,
mimic,
send up (British, informal),
lampoon,
burlesque,
satirize
Synonyms of 'ridicule'
ridicule
Explore 'ridicule' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of chaff
Synonyms
teasing,
joking,
josh (slang, US, Canadian),
banter,
badinage,
raillery,
persiflage
in the sense of deride
Definition
to speak of or treat with contempt or ridicule
This theory is widely derided by conventional scientists.
Synonyms
mock,
ridicule,
scorn,
knock (informal),
insult,
taunt,
sneer,
jeer,
disdain,
scoff,
detract,
flout,
disparage,
chaff,
gibe,
take the piss out of (taboo, slang),
pooh-pooh,
contemn
in the sense of derision
He tried to calm them but was greeted with shouts of derision.
Synonyms
mockery,
laughter,
contempt,
ridicule,
scorn,
insult,
sneering,
disdain,
scoffing,
disrespect,
denigration,
disparagement,
contumely (literary),
raillery
in the sense of irony
Definition
the mildly sarcastic use of words to imply the opposite of what they normally mean
She examined his face for a hint of irony, but found none.
Synonyms
sarcasm,
mockery,
ridicule,
bitterness,
scorn,
satire,
cynicism,
derision,
causticity,
mordancy
in the sense of jeer
Definition
a cry of derision
the heckling and jeers of his audience
Synonyms
mockery,
abuse,
ridicule,
taunt,
sneer,
hiss,
boo,
scoff,
hoot,
derision,
gibe,
catcall,
obloquy,
aspersion
in the sense of lampoon
Definition
to ridicule and criticize (someone) in a lampoon
He was lampooned for his short stature and political views.
Synonyms
ridicule,
mock,
mimic,
parody,
caricature,
send up (British, informal),
take off (informal),
make fun of,
squib,
burlesque,
satirize,
pasquinade,
take the piss (out of) (informal)
in the sense of mock
Definition
to behave with scorn or contempt towards a person or thing
I thought you were mocking me.
Synonyms
laugh at,
insult,
tease,
ridicule,
taunt,
scorn,
sneer,
scoff,
deride,
flout,
make fun of,
wind someone up (British, slang),
poke fun at,
chaff,
take the mickey out of (informal),
jeer at,
take the piss out of (taboo, slang),
show contempt for,
make a monkey out of,
laugh to scorn
in the sense of parody
Definition
to make a parody of
It was easy to parody his rather pompous manner of speaking.
Synonyms
take off (informal),
mimic,
caricature,
send up (British, informal),
spoof (informal),
travesty,
lampoon,
poke fun at,
burlesque,
take the piss out of (taboo, slang),
satirize,
do a takeoff of (informal)
in the sense of pooh-pooh
Definition
to express disdain or scorn for
Some people pooh-pooh the idea that gardens can be an art form.
Synonyms
scorn,
dismiss,
slight,
disregard,
play down,
sneer at,
disdain,
spurn,
deride,
brush aside,
scoff at,
belittle,
sniff at,
make little of,
turn up your nose at (informal)
in the sense of sarcasm
Definition
mocking or ironic language intended to insult someone
His voice was heavy with sarcasm.
Synonyms
irony,
satire,
cynicism,
contempt,
ridicule,
bitterness,
scorn,
sneering,
mockery,
venom,
derision,
vitriol,
mordancy,
causticness
Additional synonyms
in the sense of satire
Definition
the use of ridicule to expose incompetence, evil, or corruption
It's an easy target for satire.
Synonyms
mockery,
wit,
irony,
ridicule,
sarcasm,
raillery,
pasquinade
in the sense of satirize
Definition
to ridicule (a person or thing) by means of satire
The newspaper satirized our political leaders.
Synonyms
ridicule,
parody,
send up (British, informal),
take off (informal),
criticize,
deride,
travesty,
pillory,
lampoon,
burlesque,
diss (slang),
hold up to ridicule
in the sense of scorn
Definition
open contempt for a person or thing
They greeted the proposal with scorn.
Synonyms
contempt,
disdain,
mockery,
derision,
despite,
slight,
sneer,
sarcasm,
disparagement,
contumely (literary),
contemptuousness,
scornfulness
in the sense of sneer
Best-selling authors may have to face the sneers of the literati.
Synonyms
scorn,
ridicule,
mockery,
derision,
jeer,
disdain,
snigger,
gibe,
snidery
in the sense of taunt
Definition
to tease or provoke (someone) with jeering remarks