Word
mockery
Phoneticsmock·ery
US/ˈmɑkɝi/
UK/mˈɒkəɹi/
Definitions
01ridicule or teasing
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. unkind laughter or behavior that makes someone or something look stupid.
n. the act of mocking; derision or ridicule intended to disparage the subject.
“He couldn't stand the constant mockery from his classmates about his old shoes.”
“The politician's speech was met with open mockery from the press, who pointed out several obvious contradictions in his argument.”
Antonyms
02a bad imitation or travesty
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. something that is so poorly done that it is an insult to what it should be.
n. a ridiculous or insulting imitation; a travesty that fails to meet basic standards of quality or justice.
“The trial was a mockery of justice because the judge had already decided the result.”
“Critics argued that the low-budget remake was a mockery of the original film, lacking both the heart and the technical skill of the 1960s version.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general act of ridicule; countable when referring to a specific instance or a failed imitation ('a mockery of').
Pitfall
He made a mockery about the rules
He made a mockery of the rules
The idiom 'to make a mockery of' always takes the preposition 'of' to indicate the subject being ridiculed.
Etymology
From Middle English mokkery, from Anglo-Norman mokerie, mokery and Middle French mocquerie, moquerie, from moquer, moker (“to mock”) + -erie (“-ery”), perhaps from Byzantine Greek μωκός (mōkós, “mocker”), perhaps from Arabic مَكْر (makr, “scheme, plot”). Equivalent to mock + -ery.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/mockery