ridicule

English

Etymology

From Latin ridiculus (“laughable, comical, amusing, absurd, ridiculous”), from ridere (“to laugh”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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Verb

ridicule (third-person singular simple present ridicules, present participle ridiculing, simple past and past participle ridiculed)

1. (transitive) to criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of

   His older sibling constantly ridiculed him with sarcastic remarks.

Synonyms

• outlaugh

Translations

to make fun of someone

Chinese: Mandarin: 嘲笑 (cmn) (cháoxiào) Estonian: naeruvääristama, pilkama Finnish: tehdä naurunalaiseksi, ivata Italian: ridicolizzare (it) Japanese: あざ笑う (ja) (azawarau), 嘲笑する (ja) (chōshōsuru)

Lithuanian: šaipytis Romanian: a batjocori, a ridiculiza Russian: высмеивать (ru) (vysméivat') impf., высмеять (ru) (výsmejat') pf., насмехаться (ru) (nasmexát'sja) impf. Vietnamese: nhạo báng (vi), giễu cợt (vi), chế nhạo (vi)

Noun

ridicule (uncountable)

1. derision; mocking or humiliating words or behaviour

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:ridicule

Related terms

• deride
• derision
• ridiculous
• ridiculosity

Translations

derision

Armenian: ծաղր (hy) (çaġr) Czech: výsměch (cs) m. Hungarian: gúny (hu), nevetség (hu)

Italian: derisione (it) f. Russian: насмешка (ru) (nasméška) f.

See also

• humiliation

External links

• ridicule in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• ridicule in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

ridicule (epicene, plural ridicules)

1. ridiculous (all meanings)

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Latin

Etymology

From rīdiculus (“laughable; ridiculous”), from rīdeō (“to laugh; mock”).

Adverb

rīdiculē (comparative rīdiculius, superlative rīdiculissimē)

1. laughably, amusingly
2. absurdly, ridiculously

Synonyms

• perrīdiculē