Synonyms of deride

deride

verb

di-ˈrīd 

as in to ridicule

to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter

my brothers derided our efforts, but were forced to eat their words when we won first place

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ridicule
• mock
• jeer
• taunt
• tease
• jibe
• gibe
• laugh (at)
• parody
• make fun of
• scout
• imitate
• poke fun at
• disparage
• rag on
• make sport of
• skewer
• shoot down
• belittle
• harass
• decry
• scorn
• torment
• cock snooks (at)
• target
• cock a snook (at)
• scoff (at)
• pooh-pooh
• bad-mouth
• satirize
• mimic
• sneer (at)
• pester
• pooh
• heckle
• lampoon
• rag
• razz
• twit
• tweak
• rally
• caricature
• ride
• bait
• pillory
• jive
• needle
• rib
• ape
• kid
• bug
• put down
• take off (on)
• quiz
• parrot
• chaff
• harry
• josh
• catcall
• burlesque
• hassle
• travesty
• barrack

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• approve
• endorse
• commend
• applaud
• indorse
• sanction

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deride distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of deride are mock, ridicule, and taunt. While all these words mean "to make an object of laughter of," deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

In what contexts can mock take the place of deride?

The words mock and deride can be used in similar contexts, but mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

When can ridicule be used instead of deride?

While the synonyms ridicule and deride are close in meaning, ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

When might taunt be a better fit than deride?

The words taunt and deride are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deride

His record during his first term was highly ambiguous: Trump damaged and derided the American order but also protected it from its excesses and its enemies. —Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

While some in the international community have derided Trump’s proposal for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, Macron sees it as a way to keep Trump, and by extension the U.S., invested in defending Ukraine, if only for its natural resources. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025

Leading AfD figures have derided the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin and Germany's domestic intelligence services have parts of the party under surveillance for extremism and therefore endangering democracy. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025

Frank Schuler was a leading promoter of a tax deduction derided as a scam by prosecutors, senators and the IRS. —Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 18 Feb. 2025

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