mockery

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Anglo-Norman mokerie, mokery, and (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle French mocquerie, moquerie, from moquer, moker (“to mock”) + -erie (“-ery”), perhaps from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Greek μωκός (mokós, “mocker”), perhaps from Arabic الْمَكْرُ (al-makru, “guile, cunning”). Equivalent to mock +‎ -ery.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɒkəɹi/
• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑkəɹi/

Noun

mockery (countable and uncountable, plural mockeries)

1. The action of mocking; ridicule, derision.
2. Something so lacking in necessary qualities as to inspire ridicule; a laughing-stock.
3. (obsolete) Something insultingly imitative; an offensively futile action, gesture etc.
4. Mimicry, imitation, now usually in a derogatory sense; a travesty, a ridiculous simulacrum.

   The defendant wasn't allowed to speak at his own trial - it was a mockery of justice.

Usage notes

• We often use make a mockery of someone or something, meaning to mock them. See also Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:ridicule

Translations

action of mocking; ridicule, derision

• Armenian: ծաղր (hy) (caġr)
• Czech: výsměch (cs) m, zesměšnění n, posměch m
• Finnish: iva (fi)
• Galician: burla f, moca f, escarnio (gl) m, chufa f
• Greek: χλευασμός (el) m (chlevasmós)

  Ancient: λάσθη f (lásthē), κατάγελως m (katágelōs)

• Hungarian: csúfolás (hu), gúnyolás
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: derisione (it) f, scherno m
• Latin: dērīsiō f
• Persian: مچل (fa) (mačal)
• Portuguese: escárnio (pt) m, zombaria (pt) f
• Spanish: mote (es) m, mofa (es), pitorreo (es), ludibrio (es) (formal)
• Tagalog: uyam
• Welsh: gwatwar (cy)