ridicule
/ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/ verb, noun, adjective
Forms ridicules ridiculing ridiculed
- verb (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.”
- noun Derision; mocking or humiliating words or behavior.
- noun An object of sport or laughter; a laughing stock.
- noun The quality of being ridiculous; ridiculousness.
- adjective (obsolete) ridiculous
- noun (now historical and regional) A small woman's handbag; a reticule.
Synonyms
outlaugh pillory derision scoff mockery katagelasticism roast guy blackguard laugh at jest at rib make fun poke fun
Etymology
The obsolete adjective is borrowed from French ridicule, from Latin rīdiculus (“laughable, comical, amusing, absurd, ridiculous”), from ridere (“to laugh”).
The noun is either from French, noun use of adjective, or from Latin rīdiculum, noun use of neuter of rīdiculus.
The verb is from the noun or else from French ridiculer, from ridicule.
Apparently from French ridicule (“reticule”), probably a punning alteration of réticule after ridicule (“ridicule”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun An object of sport or laughter; a laughingstock; a laughing matter.
- noun 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.
- verb To laugh at mockingly or disparagingly; to awaken ridicule toward or respecting.
- adjective Ridiculous. [Obs.]
Etymology [F. ridicule, L. ridiculum a jest, fr. ridiculus. See Ridiculous.]
Etymology [F.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ridicule”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details