mock

1 of 4

verb

ˈmäk How to pronounce mock (audio)
ˈmȯk
mocked; mocking; mocks

transitive verb

1
: to treat with contempt or ridicule : deride
he has been mocked as a mama's boyC. P. Pierce
2
: to disappoint the hopes of
for any government to mock men's hopes with mere words and promises and gesturesD. D. Eisenhower
3
: defy, challenge
the unstable, strange new world of subatomic particles that mock all attempts at understandingPhilip Howard
4
a
: to imitate (someone or something) closely : mimic
a mockingbird was mocking a cardinalNelson Hayes
b
: to mimic in sport or derision
followed the old man along the street mocking his gait

intransitive verb

: jeer, scoff
she … mocked at his piety as affectationFerdinand Schevill
mocker noun
mockingly adverb

mock

2 of 4

noun

1
: an act of ridicule or derision : jeer
2
: one that is an object of derision or scorn
3
4
a
: an act of imitation
b
: something made as an imitation

mock

3 of 4

adjective

: of, relating to, or having the character of an imitation : simulated, feigned
the mock solemnity of the parody

mock

4 of 4

adverb

: in an insincere or counterfeit manner
usually used in combination
mock-serious
Choose the Right Synonym for mock

ridicule, deride, mock, taunt mean to make an object of laughter of.

ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

copy, imitate, mimic, ape, mock mean to make something so that it resembles an existing thing.

copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

ape may suggest presumptuous, unoriginal, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

Examples of mock in a Sentence

Verb The boys mocked him for showing fear. He mocks art only because he doesn't understand it. They continue to mock the idea of a new government. We are being mocked for our religious beliefs. You can mock me as much as you like, but I'm going to do it anyway. Noun they made a mock of the new recruit in front of the whole unit obviously, the “priceless” Grecian urn that is destroyed in the movie was a mock Adjective We stared at him in mock surprise. Every summer, our history club performs mock battles to relive our country's greatest war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Political critics are mocking Trump over the no-shows. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024 That’s why The Charlotte Observer is taking one more shot at a seven-round Panthers mock draft. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024 On a red carpet recently, Katy Perry wore the Vivienne Westwood mock croc Super Elevated Court Pumps from his shop. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024 Outside of the 1968 Democratic National Convention hall, protesters mocked the proceedings. Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024 After Healy mentions an attempt to DM Ice Spice, the hosts attempt to guess her heritage and mock the accents of different ethnic groups. Justin Curto, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2024 The host also whipped out his best Trump impression in response to headlines about the former president appearing to nod off a few times during the first day of his hush money trial, which has been mercilessly mocked by a number of late night hosts. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024 Kiper mocked him 38th this week; Miller mocks him 49th. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024 Many have mocked and scoffed at this post and even put community notes. Mallory Moench, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
Noun
Bleacher Report’s latest mock projects Furphy No. 28 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024 Miller's mock has the top wide receivers off the board by no. 9 and instead the Bears choose to protect their new quarterback (Williams), who Fashanu played with in high school. Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Sheppard is a strong three-point shooter who has worked his way up NBA mock draft projections. Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The sharpshooting combo guard is projected to be selected third overall – the highest of any college player – in Bleacher Report’s latest 2024 NBA mock draft, after a late-season surge in scoring appears to have turned the heads of NBA scouts. Jacob Lev, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 An easy mock hollandaise sauce adds creamy flavor to our tomato- and basil-topped twist on the classic eggs Benedict breakfast. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 LeBron was angered and took to social media this week when ESPN’s NBA mock draft excluded Bronny from this summer’s draft and projected him instead for the 2025 draft. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 The 19-year-old, currently a freshman at USC, was removed from ESPN’s 2024 NBA mock draft. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 But with the first-round order now fully set, here's our latest NFL mock draft. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Rice was an example in last year’s draft, as KC selected him ahead of where most mock drafts projected. Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2024 The singer appeared on the balcony of a mock motel that had been created for her gig at the festival. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024 In an earlier mock draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler sent him to Miami at 55. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024 The joke was accompanied by a mock news report featuring Paramount film distribution president Aronson, who was pictured holding a cardboard sign soliciting donations. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024 When the Suns’ Devin Booker hit four free throws late in the period, the crowd responded with mock cheers. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 Nettles said in mock horror about the country-leaning collection that secured Bey’s eighth chart-topper on the album chart. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024 And the New York Giants have been loosely linked to various quarterback prospects in mock drafts as of late. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024 Then, in 2022, The Star’s first mock draft had defensive end George Karlaftis, wide receiver Skyy Moore and offensive lineman Darian Kinnard. Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2024
Adverb
Sports Sam Farmer’s crystal ball: NFL mock draft 2.0 after big trade for top pick April 3, 2023 Stafford passed for only 10 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, as the Rams produced the worst performance by a defending Super Bowl champion in league history. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023 And though Tyler ditched the bellhop costume quickly, he was soon replaced by the anonymous character of a fisherman in a bright yellow raincoat who was responsible for holding up a backdrop as Tyler set sail -- and, of course, mock-mopping up the water on the dock once Tyler returned to land. Billboard, 31 July 2021 Alwyn begins mock-pulling at his cheeks and widening his eyes at any talk of said face. Vulture, 9 May 2022 Perhaps most famously, Mr. Remy and Orsillo, in between convulsions of laughter, mock-analyzed an incident in which one fan in the Fenway stands threw a slice of pizza at another in April 2007. BostonGlobe.com, 31 Oct. 2021 Clifford looked at him mock-sternly, channelling Diana. Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 8 June 2020 Stokes continued, mock yelling in a West Hollywood hotel. Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, 20 Apr. 2020 But as the conflict in the country dragged on for years, the banner became a symbol over which critics would mock Bush. John Gage, Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2020 The included photo of the model/mock up of this case is close but not exact. Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 26 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, Adjective, and Adverb

Middle English, from moker

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1548, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

circa 1625, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near mock

Cite this Entry

“Mock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mock. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

mock

1 of 3 verb
ˈmäk How to pronounce mock (audio)
ˈmȯk
1
: to treat with scorn : ridicule
mocked his ideas
2
: defy sense 2
don't mock the rules
3
: to make fun of by mimicking
mocker noun
mockingly adverb

mock

2 of 3 noun
1
: an act of mocking : jeer
2
: someone or something that is made fun of

mock

3 of 3 adjective
: not real : imitation

More from Merriam-Webster on mock

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!