noun / verb
ridicule
RID-i-kyool/ˈrɪdɪkjuːl/
Mockery that makes someone or something seem foolish.
She ridicules the crooked paper crown with scornful laughter.
Etymology
Latin ridiculum, “a laughing matter,” is a possible direct source. The English noun shifted from an object of mockery to the scornful laughter, words, or actions directed at it.
In context
… if you feel that fear of ridicule that you might be laughed at misunderstood …
More examples
- He endured ridicule.
- They ridiculed the proposal.
- The audience is ridiculing the performance.
Forms
ridicule · ridicules · ridiculed · ridiculing
ridiculous adjective — deserving mockery or plainly absurd