mockery

noun

mock·​ery ˈmä-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce mockery (audio)
ˈmȯ-
plural mockeries
1
: insulting or contemptuous action or speech : derision
laying himself open to the jeers and mockeries of his rebellious subjectsE. A. Freeman
2
: a subject of laughter, derision, or sport
making him turn himself into a merry mockery of all he had once held dearO. St. John Gogarty
3
a
: a counterfeit appearance : imitation
if it was not a man it was a huge and grotesque mockery of manE. R. Burroughs
b
: an insincere, contemptible, or impertinent (see impertinent sense 1a) imitation
makes a mockery of justice
4
: something ridiculously or impudently (see impudent sense 1) unsuitable
in her bitterness she felt that all rejoicing was mockeryGeorge Eliot

Examples of mockery in a Sentence

His kind of personality invites mockery. the children's cruel mockery of each other
Recent Examples on the Web Mocking others The undisputed master of mockery is Donald Trump, whose insulting nicknames have proved particularly sticky. Christian Stadler, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Ramírez has played nonbinary standup comedian Che Diaz since Season 1, during which the character became a meme-generating object of mockery. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 But images from Gemini became the subject of mockery on social media after people posted examples of ahistorical images. David Ingram, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 This makes a mockery of the purpose of a medical board convened by a medical practice act. Joel B. Zivot, STAT, 26 Feb. 2024 It’s also been a perennial source of envy, mockery and contempt. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 In 1901, Zulu–the all-Black krewe and Social Aid and Pleasure Club, formed as a marching club in protest and mockery of existing all-white krewes. Cierra Chenier, Essence, 12 Feb. 2024 The rumors have led to widespread mockery on social media, which was picked up by Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who poked fun at him onstage in previous debates. Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2024 His voice slippery like a lizard, the actor makes every intonation clear and meaningful yet also full of mockery, playing the character while also making fun of him. Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 27 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mockery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mockery was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mockery

Cite this Entry

“Mockery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mockery. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mockery

noun
mock·​ery ˈmäk-(ə-)rē How to pronounce mockery (audio)
ˈmȯk-
plural mockeries
1
: insulting action or speech
2
: someone or something that is laughed at
3
: a ridiculous or poor imitation

More from Merriam-Webster on mockery

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