DERIDE Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

deride

verb

di-ˈrīd

Definition of deride

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 deride In an interview last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, Ms. Bondi derided the indictment against Mr. Adams as politically motivated. —Liam Stack, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025 Social media posts in prayerful support of the pontiff are matched by those wishing him to die, weighing in on the author’s preferred successor or deriding the entire concept of the papacy as a farce. —Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025 Traces of the hippie culture often derided by punks persisted in the form of the Arts Lab movement, as well as in alternative bookshops, distribution systems, performance spaces, and political collectives centered on health, sexuality, and legal aid. —Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 But rather than embodying an untouchable royal, Meghan’s embraced the 1% lifestyle the entire streaming-TV industry gleefully derides. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deride