mockery

noun

mock·​ery ˈmä-k(ə-)rē 

ˈmȯ-

plural mockeries

1

: insulting or contemptuous action or speech : derision

laying himself open to the jeers and mockeries of his rebellious subjects

—E. A. Freeman

2

: a subject of laughter, derision, or sport

making him turn himself into a merry mockery of all he had once held dear

—O. St. John Gogarty

3

a

: a counterfeit appearance : imitation

if it was not a man it was a huge and grotesque mockery of man

—E. R. Burroughs

b

: an insincere, contemptible, or impertinent (see impertinent sense 1a) imitation

makes a mockery of justice

4

: something ridiculously or impudently (see impudent sense 1) unsuitable

in her bitterness she felt that all rejoicing was mockery

—George Eliot

Synonyms

• caricature
• cartoon
• farce
• joke
• parody
• sham
• travesty

Examples of mockery in a Sentence

His kind of personality invites mockery.

the children's cruel mockery of each other

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, our aim is to dive a little bit deeper into a very particular reaction to this event that some are displaying online: celebratory mockery. —Callum Booth, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Trump and Vance thrive on spectacle and mockery, while Zelensky continues to focus on survival and resilience. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025

Old friendships like the one between Laurie, Jaclyn, and Kate are already starting to crumble, as their conversations — while bracketed with ardent declarations of affection for one another — consist almost entirely of criticism, mockery, and contempt. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025

Fiona Shaw, as the needling mother who controls her daughter with a combination of martyrdom and mockery, is truly extraordinary. —Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mockery

• self-mockery

Rhymes for mockery

• crockery
• rockery

Kids Definition

mockery

noun

mock·​ery ˈmäk-(ə-)rē 

ˈmȯk-

plural mockeries

1

: insulting action or speech

2

: someone or something that is laughed at

3

: a ridiculous or poor imitation