I. ˈridə̇ˌkyül, -dēˌk- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French or Latin; French ridicule fr, Latin ridiculum laughing matter, jest — more at ridiculous
1. archaic : something or someone absurd or laughable
2. : the arousing of laughter, mockery, or scorn at someone or something : the casting of an absurd or derisive light on a person or thing
my early work was written in secret to escape ridicule — Ellen Glasgow
3. archaic : the quality or state of being laughable : ridiculousness
gave an air of ridicule to his greatest actions — Oliver Goldsmith
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to subject to ridicule or mockery : make fun of : deride
death and disease ridicule man's petty arrogance — Harriet Zinnes
pointed a moral or ridiculed his opponents — American Guide Series: Louisiana
Synonyms:
ridicule , deride , mock , taunt , twit , and rally agree in meaning to make someone or something the object of laughter. ridicule implies the belittling, often malicious, of the person or thing ridiculed
gouge, expose, and ridicule the stupidity of human beings — Edwin Edwards
the man who wants to preserve his personal identity is ridiculed as an eccentric or resented as a snob — S.J.Harris
deride implies bitterness against or contempt for the person or thing derided
took his revenge on the fate that had made him sad by fiercely deriding everything — Aldous Huxley
books were likely to be derided or ignored by the critics — E.A.Davidson
mock stresses the scorn, often ironic, of the person mocking
anger seized her at the suspicion that he was mocking them — Ellen Glasgow
now taking on one expression and then another, in imitation of various people he was mocking — D.H.Lawrence
taunt implies mockery and suggests jeeringly provoking insults
taunt a boy into a fight
the mill foreman so taunted the workers, so badgered them and told them that they dared not quit — Sinclair Lewis
twit formerly implied taunts or throwing something up to someone, but now, like rally , implies a bantering, good-humored teasing or mockery, though sometimes coming close to taunting
the absence of ideas with which Matthew Arnold twits them — W.R.Inge
twit Victorian manners and morals — Time
all the charming witticisms of English lecturers who twitted us about our standardization and materialism — Eric Sevareid
he loved his mistress … no one dared … rally him on his weakness — G.B.Shaw
it would be amusing to rally her friend … for neglecting his wife — Edith Sitwell
III. “, -_kəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, alteration of réticule — more at reticule
chiefly dialect : reticule 2