1
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
after yet another last place finish, the team became nothing more than a derision to all but its most loyal fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ridicule
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something
their absurd behavior on the awards show became a source of derision for comedians
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derision
Two of the tributes to stars who died in the past year, Rob Reiner and Robert Redford, referenced their politics, and their ability to have an impact even if their activism was prone to derision on the right.
—
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
As the years went on, many challenges were increasingly viewed with derision, including a photo shoot in which contestants were made up to be different races and another in which a contestant whose mother had been shot and paralyzed was made to pose as a gunshot victim.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Martin’s decision to bury the DNC’s findings invited suspicion and derision.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derision
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
As the years went on, many challenges were increasingly viewed with derision, including a photo shoot in which contestants were made up to be different races and another in which a contestant whose mother had been shot and paralyzed was made to pose as a gunshot victim.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Martin’s decision to bury the DNC’s findings invited suspicion and derision.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derision
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derision
Noun
-
As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Complaints about hospital food are certainly not new, and Jell-O and fruit juice are often the butt of related jokes.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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By then the Illinois-breds — the subject of so much ridicule and scorn when the race-a-day was introduced — had become a success story.—
Neil Milbert,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Former Mayor Bill de Blasio similarly drew ridicule when he was caught using a knife and fork to eat pizza instead of grabbing the slice with his hands like any real New Yorker paisano would.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Chargers’ Ladd McConkey put up a Pro-Bowl caliber campaign in ’24 as a first-year target (82 catches, 1,149 receiving yards, seven scores), while Rashod Bateman’s numbers as a rookie in ’22 were merely serviceable (46 grabs, 515 yards, one TD).—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Higher-income targets may see investment scams.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Post-draft outlook Don’t let the draft-weekend optimism fool you — the Cardinals have a long road ahead.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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There is an old saying that people who represent themselves in court effectively have a fool for a lawyer.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derision.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derision. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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