mockery
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
unkind laughter or behavior that makes someone or something look stupid.
the act of mocking; derision or ridicule intended to disparage the subject.
Simple“He couldn't stand the constant mockery from his classmates about his old shoes.”
In context“The politician's speech was met with open mockery from the press, who pointed out several obvious contradictions in his argument.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
something that is so poorly done that it is an insult to what it should be.
a ridiculous or insulting imitation; a travesty that fails to meet basic standards of quality or justice.
Simple“The trial was a mockery of justice because the judge had already decided the result.”
In context“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.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'make a mockery of something'.
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.