RIDICULE
derision, ridicule
(noun) the act of deriding or treating with contempt
ridicule
(noun) language or behavior intended to mock or humiliate
ridicule, roast, guy, blackguard, laugh at, jest at, rib, make fun, poke fun
(verb) subject to laughter or ridicule; “The satirists ridiculed the plans for a new opera house”; “The students poked fun at the inexperienced teacher”; “His former students roasted the professor at his 60th birthday”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Verb
ridicule (third-person singular simple present ridicules, present participle ridiculing, simple past and past participle ridiculed)
(transitive) to criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of
Synonyms
• outlaugh
Noun
ridicule (countable and uncountable, plural ridicules)
derision; mocking or humiliating words or behaviour
An object of sport or laughter; a laughing stock.
The quality of being ridiculous; ridiculousness.
Synonyms
• See also ridicule
Adjective
ridicule (comparative more ridicule, superlative most ridicule)
(obsolete) ridiculous
Etymology 2
Noun
ridicule (plural ridicules)
(now, historical) A small woman's handbag; a reticule. [from 18th c.]
Source: Wiktionary
Rid"i*cule, n. Etym: [F. ridicule, L. ridiculum a jest, fr.
ridiculus. See Ridiculous.]
1. An object of sport or laughter; a laughingstock; a laughing
matter.
[Marlborough] was so miserably ignorant, that his deficiencies made
him the ridicule of his contemporaries. Buckle.
To the people . . . but a trifle, to the king but a ridicule. Foxe.
2. Remarks concerning a subject or a person designed to excite
laughter with a degree of contempt; wit of that species which
provokes contemptuous laughter; disparagement by making a person an
object of laughter; banter; -- a term lighter than derision.
We have in great measure restricted the meaning of ridicule, which
would properly extend over whole region of the ridiculous, -- the
laughable, -- and we have narrowed it so that in common usage it
mostly corresponds to "derision", which does indeed involve personal
and offensive feelings. Hare.
Safe from the bar, the pulpit, and the throne, Yet touched and shamed
by ridicule alone. Pope.
3. Quality of being ridiculous; ridiculousness. [Obs.]
To see the ridicule of this practice. Addison.
Syn.
– Derision; banter; raillery; burlesque; mockery; irony; satire;
sarcasm; gibe; jeer; sneer.
– Ridicule, Derision, Both words imply disapprobation; but ridicule
usually signifies good-natured, fun-loving opposition without
manifest malice, while derision is commonly bitter and scornful, and
sometimes malignant.
Rid"i*cule, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ridiculed;p. pr. & vb. n.
Ridiculing.]
Definition: To laugh at mockingly or disparagingly; to awaken ridicule
toward or respecting.
I 've known the young, who ridiculed his rage. Goldsmith.
Syn.
– To deride; banter; rally; burlesque; mock; satirize; lampoon. See
Deride.
Rid"i*cule, a. Etym: [F.]
Definition: Ridiculous. [Obs.]
This action . . . became so ridicule. Aubrey.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition