mockery

noun

mock·​ery ˈmä-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce mockery (audio)
ˈmȯ-
plural mockeries
1
: insulting or contemptuous action or speech : derision
laying himself open to the jeers and mockeries of his rebellious subjectsE. A. Freeman
2
: a subject of laughter, derision, or sport
making him turn himself into a merry mockery of all he had once held dearO. St. John Gogarty
3
a
: a counterfeit appearance : imitation
if it was not a man it was a huge and grotesque mockery of manE. 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 mockeryGeorge Eliot

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Now the administration is making a mockery of the order. Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025 To me, the most interesting part of this reaction is around the jokes and mockery of the science. Callum Booth, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025 Hence the mockery to which the brainwashed are frequently subjected. Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025 Some outlets responded with satirical cartoons and mockery, while others took more direct aim at Trump, sharing concerns and criticism about his rhetoric about Ukraine. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mockery

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mockery was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mockery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mockery. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

mockery

noun
mock·​ery ˈmäk-(ə-)rē How to pronounce mockery (audio)
ˈmȯk-
plural mockeries
1
: insulting action or speech
2
: someone or something that is laughed at
3
: a ridiculous or poor imitation

More from Merriam-Webster on mockery

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