Meanings
plural derisions
- countableuncountableAct of treating with disdain.
There was just a touch of derision in the Don's voice and Hagen flushed.
1969, Mario Puzo, The Godfather1 more example
One of the darlings of the early vegetarian movement (particularly in its even sadder form, the cutlet), it was on the menu at John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium [sic], and has since become the default Sunday option for vegetarians – and a default source of derision for everyone else.
2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian - countableuncountableSomething to be derided; a laughing stock.
Miss Briggs was not formally dismissed, but her place as companion was a sinecure and a derision […]
1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 14, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindērīsiōnem
- Old Frenchderision
- Englishderision
From Old French derision, from Latin dērīsiōnem, accusative of dērīsiō, from dērīdēre ("to mock, to laugh at, to deride").
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κατάγελως
- κατάγελως (katágelōs)act of treating with contempt
Bulgarian присмиване, осмиване
- присмиване (prismivane)act of treating with contempt
- осмиване (osmivane)act of treating with contempt
Catalan derisió
- derisióact of treating with contempt
Czech posměch, výsměch
- posměchact of treating with contempt
- výsměchact of treating with contempt
- zesměšněníact of treating with contempt
Dutch spot
- spotact of treating with contempt
Finnish iva, pilkka
- ivaact of treating with contempt
- pilkkaact of treating with contempt
French dérision
- dérisionact of treating with contempt
German Hohn, Spott
- Hohnact of treating with contempt
- Spottact of treating with contempt
- Verhöhnungact of treating with contempt
- Verspottungact of treating with contempt
- Gespöttact of treating with contempt
Hindi उपहास, खिल्ली
- उपहास (uphās)act of treating with contempt
- खिल्ली (khillī)act of treating with contempt
Hungarian kinevetés, kigúnyolás
- kinevetésact of treating with contempt
- kigúnyolásact of treating with contempt
- kicsúfolásact of treating with contempt
- kikacagásact of treating with contempt
- megmosolygásact of treating with contempt
Italian derisione
- derisioneact of treating with contempt
Latin dērīsiō
- dērīsiōact of treating with contempt
Polish wyszydzenie, szyderstwo
- wyszydzenieact of treating with contempt
- szyderstwoact of treating with contempt
Portuguese menosprezo
- menosprezoact of treating with contempt
Russian высмеивание, насме́шка
- высмеивание (vysmeivanije)act of treating with contempt
- насме́шка (nasméška)act of treating with contempt
- осмеяние (osmejanije)act of treating with contempt
Spanish irrisión, derrisión
- irrisiónact of treating with contempt
- derrisiónact of treating with contempt
Swedish hån, förlöjligande
- hånact of treating with contempt
- förlöjligandeact of treating with contempt
Turkish alay
- alayact of treating with contempt
Ukrainian висміювання, насміхання
- висміювання (vysmijuvannja)act of treating with contempt
- насміхання (nasmixannja)act of treating with contempt
- посміх (posmix)act of treating with contempt
- глузування (hluzuvannja)act of treating with contempt
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with derision
Anagrams
Cite this entry
derision. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derision
“derision.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derision. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “derision,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derision.
Source: derision on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.