mock

1 of 4

verb

ˈmäk 

ˈmȯk

mocked; mocking; mocks

transitive verb

1

: to treat with contempt or ridicule : deride

he has been mocked as a mama's boy

—C. P. Pierce

2

: to disappoint the hopes of

for any government to mock men's hopes with mere words and promises and gestures

—D. D. Eisenhower

3

: defy, challenge

the unstable, strange new world of subatomic particles that mock all attempts at understanding

—Philip Howard

4

a

: to imitate (someone or something) closely : mimic

a mockingbird was mocking a cardinal

—Nelson 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 affectation

—Ferdinand Schevill

mocker noun

mockingly

ˈmä-kiŋ-lē 

ˈmȯ-

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

: mockery

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

Synonyms

Verb

• burlesque
• caricature
• do
• imitate
• mimic
• parody
• send up
• spoof
• travesty

Noun

• butt
• derision
• jest
• joke
• laughingstock
• mark
• mockery
• sport
• target

Adjective

• artificial
• bogus
• dummy
• ersatz
• factitious
• fake
• false
• faux
• imitation
• imitative
• man-made
• mimic
• pretend
• sham
• simulated
• substitute
• synthetic

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.

the other kids mocked the way he laughed

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

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump often mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies. —Sylvie Corbet, arkansasonline.com, 8 Dec. 2024

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump often mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and Champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies. —Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024

Noun

After lost Olympic shot, the sprint star is back NBA mock draft: Who's going No. 1? —New York Times, 20 June 2024

Castle checks in at No. 4 and Clingan at No. 7 in USA Today’s latest mock. —Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2024

Adjective

In August 2022, China launched a mock military blockade of Taiwan after Nancy Pelosi became the first serving U.S. House speaker to visit the island in 25 years. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

Her sleeveless dress included a mock neck and flounce detail in the front that allowed for a thigh-high slit. —Mikelle Street, WWD, 9 Dec. 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

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

Phrases Containing mock

• mock-heroic
• mock orange
• mock turtleneck
• mock turtle soup
• mock-up

Kids Definition

mock

1 of 3 verb

ˈmäk 

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

-iŋ-lē 

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