Synonyms for derision

21 synonyms
8 antonyms
1 meaning

noun

Most common

All synonyms

Noun

1. Ridicule

ridicule, scorn, mockery, sarcasm, opprobrium, contempt, sneer, laughter, scoffing, disrespect, scoff, jeering, taunt, banter, jibe UK, gibe US, contumely, jeer, mock, sport formal dated

Other

back talk

Antonyms

praise, respect, admiration

All antonyms of derision →

Definitions

n. 1
Act of treating with disdain.

Related words

Word family: deride

Forms

Plural: derisions → ridicules, scorns, mockeries, sarcasms…

Choose the right word

Derision or Ridicule?

Ridicule makes a person or thing the subject of contemptuous merriment; derision seeks to make the object derided seem utterly despicable--to laugh it to scorn.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

sarcasm He spoke with a suggestion of sarcasm in his voice.
ridicule He exposed himself to the ridicule of his classmates.
mockery He got hundreds of anonymous letters in mockery.
scorn Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
derision		rising
sarcasm		rising
ridicule		steady
mockery		rising
scorn		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: mock¹, jibe¹, jeer¹, gibe¹
5 letters: sport¹, scorn¹, taunt¹, scoff¹, sneer¹
6 letters: banter²
7 letters: sarcasm³, mockery³, jeering²
8 letters: laughter², contempt², ridicule³, scoffing
9 letters: contumely
10 letters: disrespect³, opprobrium⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (banter² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: dérision
Italiano: derisione
Español: irrisión