Deride is a combination of the prefix de- ("make lower") and ridēre, a Latin verb meaning "to laugh." Ridēre echoes in other English words as well, some common and some obscure. In the former category we have ridicule and ridiculous. Ridicule functions as both verb ("to make fun of") and noun ("the act of making fun of"), while ridiculous describes what arouses or deserves ridicule or mockery. Obscure ridēre words include arride (it has an obsolete meaning of "to smile or laugh at," and also means "to please, gratify, or delight") and irrision, a synonym of derision, the close noun relation of deride. Also in the category of obscure ridēre words is risorius; this medical term refers to a narrow band of facial muscle fibers that reach to the corners of the mouth to make smiling possible.
ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.
consistently ridiculed everything she said
deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.
derided their efforts to start their own business
mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.
youngsters began to mock the helpless wino
taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.
hometown fans taunted the visiting team
Example Sentences
my brothers derided our efforts, but were forced to eat their words when we won first place
Recent Examples on the WebRepublicans deride the 730-page bill as big government overreach and point particular criticism at its $80 billion investment in the IRS to hire new employees and go after tax scofflaws. Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2022 Her hat is intended to deride the argument made by Trump supporters and some civil libertarians that the investigation of Mr. Trump’s alleged security breaches should be evaluated against the way in which earlier cases were handled. Alan M. Dershowitz, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Because of some superficial similarities in their plots, some folks will always deride Succession as Yellowstone with cable news instead of cows and no viewers instead of the biggest audience on TV. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2022 Writing in this magazine almost sixty years ago, Arendt seemed to deride the notion that a war crime should be redressed through compensation to the victim. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022 Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote a solo concurring opinion, used that opportunity to deride Breyer’s reasoning in both this case and in Heller in snarky and personal terms. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 23 June 2022 But his name has been used as a moniker during the Republican primaries this year to deride candidates who stand opposed to the brand of MAGA politics championed by Trump. Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2022 Republicans deride such measures as unconstitutional attempts to take guns from law-abiding Americans, robbing them of their right to defend themselves.New York Times, 2 June 2022 The ascendent left-leaning movement will face a fierce fight in the coming years, as conservatives increasingly deride their efforts as corporate wokeness run amok. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 27 May 2022 See More