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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
This hate against transgender people is so ridiculous.—
John Russell,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Even in witnessing how ridiculous — and dangerous — the rivalry is, Cherry ultimately isn’t brave enough to make a change.—
Maggie Fremont,
EW.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This whole exercise of proving the absence of antisemitism as a prerequisite to criticizing Israeli government policy is absurd.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Still, the sexist double standards around pockets have continued to be present in absurd ways.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This strategy worked for him for about 10 years—and then began to bore him silly.—
Art Spiegelman,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Believing in any conspiracy theory, even one that seems as inoffensive or silly as the flat Earth theory, can set a person up to fall into larger conspiracy theories, Dashtgard says, like the idea that feminism is a global conspiracy meant to drag men down.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Hechinger is the perfect choice for the role, bringing just the right of optimism and obliviousness to an endearingly pathetic dork who finds the opportunity to be heroic.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Successful long ago, Shelley is no longer a selling Machine of any sort, and mostly just begs for a break in comically desperate appeals that ping-pong from belligerent to pathetic.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derisive. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share