1
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
after yet another last place finish, the team became nothing more than a derision to all but its most loyal fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ridicule
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something
their absurd behavior on the awards show became a source of derision for comedians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of derision
Martin’s decision to bury the DNC’s findings invited suspicion and derision.
—
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
But the derision coming as a result of what Darnold has accomplished in Seattle is ultimately misguided.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
In the 222 years since declaring its independence, the Caribbean country and its people has consistently found itself as the target of American derision—from Thomas Jefferson’s refusal to acknowledge Haiti's independence to Trump’s inaccurate depiction of Haitians.
—Ruth Jean-Marie, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derision
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
But the derision coming as a result of what Darnold has accomplished in Seattle is ultimately misguided.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
In the 222 years since declaring its independence, the Caribbean country and its people has consistently found itself as the target of American derision—from Thomas Jefferson’s refusal to acknowledge Haiti's independence to Trump’s inaccurate depiction of Haitians.
—Ruth Jean-Marie, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derision
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derision
Noun
-
No this is not a joke…Retro Weather Channel is officially back!—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The response to the outcry led to even more jokes online.—
Bennett Conlin,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet Beijing has rebuffed the White House’s call to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, a request that invited ridicule from Chinese propaganda outlets and online bloggers.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Among regime critics, the new leader’s lack of presence – both literal and figurative – has prompted ridicule.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some notable celebrity targets include Anthony Edwards, Terrance Crawford, Keith Lee, Kai Cenat and many more.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Operationally, Dark Eagle is built to strike high-value targets in contested environments.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Any one of 162 games is less a sample size than a glance, and fool’s gold is ever present.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t let the recent rain fool you.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derision.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derision. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
