as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the derisive performances of some of the singers on the talent show
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Recent Examples of derisive
Walton Goggins plays a man in a bad mood from the start, whose derisive energy is forever butting up against that of his cheery girlfriend, played by Aimee Lou Wood.
—
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
Biden also claimed that Trump praised his record behind closed doors during the two rivals’ cordial White House meeting in November, a very stark contrast to the derisive attacks the president-elect has launched in public.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2025
Fans gave up and drew national attention for paying planes to circle the stadium with derisive banners.
—Matt Baker, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Yet Horse Crazy is one of the best American novels about obsession in part because the narrator mostly dislikes Gregory, subjecting this object of lust to the same derisive interior voice that comments on virtually every other aspect of his life.
—Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for derisive
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
Biden also claimed that Trump praised his record behind closed doors during the two rivals’ cordial White House meeting in November, a very stark contrast to the derisive attacks the president-elect has launched in public.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2025
Fans gave up and drew national attention for paying planes to circle the stadium with derisive banners.
—Matt Baker, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Yet Horse Crazy is one of the best American novels about obsession in part because the narrator mostly dislikes Gregory, subjecting this object of lust to the same derisive interior voice that comments on virtually every other aspect of his life.
—Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for derisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derisive
Adjective
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This hate against transgender people is so ridiculous.—
John Russell,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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But just a few hours southeast of the city lived a 14-year-old named Flannery O’Connor, who thought the spectacle was ridiculous.—
Ellen Wexler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Every major hospital show has confronted this tonal clash throughout its run; stalwarts such as ER and Grey’s Anatomy have depended on ever larger and more absurd set pieces (tank invasions, ferry disasters, helicopter crashes) to ratchet up the action.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
28 Mar. 2025
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With stories of family chaos, missteps and her devoted dog Chunk, Chelsea hilariously tackles the world’s most absurd travel situations.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Moments that may seem silly or insignificant to others — like sharing a particular greeting, teasing each other in a familiar way or even speaking to each other in silly, baby-ish voices — can be great sources of comfort and familiarity for partners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The industry has seen its fair share of terrible ideas, from the downright bizarre to the silly.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The image of the 77-year-old Green screaming and shaking his cane at the president was partly disturbing but mostly pathetic.—
Matthew Continetti,
National Review,
8 Mar. 2025
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Michael Gandolfini pops up as a slimy Fisk mayoral staffer who wouldn’t look out of place in this magazine’s recent cover featuring the new young right, and his playing both pathetic and vaguely sympathetic is very fun to watch.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derisive. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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