derision
noun
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Where does derision come from?
Derision shares part of its origin with the words ridiculous and risible; all may be traced to the Latin verb ridēre (“to laugh”). From the time derision entered the English language in the 14th century, it has suggested laughter, albeit of a mocking or scornful variety. It may also be used to indicate an object of scornful laughter—that is, a laughingstock—as in the line from Lamentations 3:14 of the King James Version of the bible: “I was a derision to all my people.”
Synonyms
Examples of derision in a Sentence
Paul Theroux, Granta 44, Summer 1993
Britain had its boffins, working researchers subject to the derision of intellectual gentlemen.
—James Gleick, Genius: The Life & Science of Richard Feynman, 1992
… discussion, laughter, lecturing, but no shouts or threats, no yardsticks banging for silence, no words of shame or derision.
—Lorene Cary, Black Ice, 1991
The whole idea of Camelot excites derision. In fact, I am sure Kennedy would have derided it himself. No one at the time ever thought of his Washington as Camelot.
—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Cycles of American History, 1986
One of the students laughed in derision at my error.
The team's awful record has made it an object of derision in the league.
“Nerd” is a term of derision.
Jennifer Weil, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Whereas the presidencies of George W. Bush and Obama tapped into long-standing fissures between the Canadian left and the Canadian right, Trump is regarded almost universally among Canadians as an object of derision.
—Jonathan Kay, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
That word was slung around playgrounds and hallways with derision.
—Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 22 June 2024
It has been used to preserve culture and resist full assimilation, as a term of derision, and more recently, as a political identity for persons of any racial or ethnic background.
—Michael Aguilar, JSTOR Daily, 26 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derision 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'derision.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near derision
Cite this Entry
“Derision.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derision. Accessed 20 Jul. 2024.
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derision
noun
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