mockery

noun

mock·​ery ˈmä-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce mockery (audio)
ˈmȯ-
plural mockeries
1
: insulting or contemptuous action or speech : derision
laying himself open to the jeers and mockeries of his rebellious subjectsE. A. Freeman
2
: a subject of laughter, derision, or sport
making him turn himself into a merry mockery of all he had once held dearO. St. John Gogarty
3
a
: a counterfeit appearance : imitation
if it was not a man it was a huge and grotesque mockery of manE. R. Burroughs
b
: an insincere, contemptible, or impertinent (see impertinent sense 1a) imitation
makes a mockery of justice
4
: something ridiculously or impudently (see impudent sense 1) unsuitable
in her bitterness she felt that all rejoicing was mockeryGeorge Eliot

Examples of mockery in a Sentence

His kind of personality invites mockery. the children's cruel mockery of each other
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But the Democrats’ digital efforts also draw Republican mockery Not all of that online engagement is positive. Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2025 The drought is a source of mockery towards RCB, with opposition fans unmerciful in their scorn towards them and particularly Kohli. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 Arresting her this week only makes a mockery of the hard, dangerous and serious work ICE officials perform every week to keep Americans safe from violent criminals who entered the country illegally. The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025 Instead, our aim is to dive a little bit deeper into a very particular reaction to this event that some are displaying online: celebratory mockery. Callum Booth, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mockery

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mockery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mockery. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

mockery

noun
mock·​ery ˈmäk-(ə-)rē How to pronounce mockery (audio)
ˈmȯk-
plural mockeries
1
: insulting action or speech
2
: someone or something that is laughed at
3
: a ridiculous or poor imitation

More from Merriam-Webster on mockery

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