Mockery
/ˈmɒkəri/
Definitions
2 meaningsRidicule, scorn, or derision.
/ˈmɒkəri/
An act or instance of making fun of someone or something.
The politician's speech was met with widespread mockery from the public.
💡 Simply: Mockery is like when you're making fun of someone or something, but maybe not in a friendly way. Imagine someone imitating your walk in a playful way versus someone making fun of your favorite outfit.
👶 For kids: Making fun of someone in a mean way.
More Examples
His attempts at solving the problem were met with mockery by his colleagues.
The failure of the project was a source of mockery among the competitors.
How It's Used
"The comedian's routine was a biting mockery of political figures."
"He was subject to the mockery of his peers for his eccentric behavior."
A poor or contemptible imitation; a thing that is absurd or ridiculous.
/ˈmɒkəri/
An imitation or sham; a thing that is absurd.
The cheap imitation was a mockery of the original.
💡 Simply: Mockery can also be something that's a bad copy or a silly attempt at something. Like a cake that looks like it was made by a five-year-old, when you wanted a professional-looking cake – that's a mockery!
👶 For kids: Something that is not good and funny in a bad way.
More Examples
The hastily assembled exhibit was a mockery of art.
The hastily thrown together defense was a mockery of a good strategy
How It's Used
"His attempt to establish a utopia was seen as a mockery of reality."
"The parade was a mockery of a traditional celebration."
Idioms & expressions
make a mockery of something
To treat something with disrespect or contempt, to make it seem ridiculous or worthless.
"The new regulations made a mockery of the previous ones."
From Middle English *mokerye*, derived from the verb "mock" (Old French *moquier*), meaning to make fun of or ridicule. The suffix "-ery" denotes an action, process, or state.
Used since the Middle Ages, with Shakespeare frequently employing the word in his plays to describe ridicule or contempt.