Meaning & use
derisive
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Meaning
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Showing scorn or mockery, as when someone laughs at an idea or person in a nasty way.
Grammar: Describes sounds, looks or comments: a derisive laugh.
Patterns
- a derisive laugh
- a derisive tone
His idea was met with derisive laughter.
She gave a derisive snort when he mentioned his plan.
The crowd gave a derisive cheer when the team failed.
Word forms
| comparative | more derisive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most derisive |
Common combinations
- derisive laughter
- Derisive laughter followed his speech.
- derisive tone
- He spoke in a derisive tone about their efforts.
- derisive comment
- A derisive comment from the back made her blush.
- derisive snort
- He answered with a derisive snort.
- derisive smile
- She wore a derisive smile throughout the talk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mocking
- Mocking is the everyday word, and can be light or playful, while derisive is harsher and full of contempt.
- scornful
- Scornful describes a person's attitude, while derisive describes the visible or audible way they show it.
- sneering
- Sneering suggests a visible curl of the lip and is a little more personal.
- sarcastic
- Sarcastic means saying the opposite of what you mean, whereas derisive can be simply openly scornful.
Opposites
Word family
- derision noun
- contemptuous mockery
- deride verb
- to mock someone with contempt
- derisively adverb
- in a mocking, scornful way
- derisiveness noun
- the quality of showing scorn
Commonly confused: derisive or derisory?
derisive vs derisory
Derisory describes something so small or poor that it seems a joke, such as a derisory pay offer, while derisive describes mocking behavior.
Practice
When he announced he would swim the lake, his friends responded with ____ laughter.
Choose one answer.
Derisive laughter mocks someone. Derisory describes an offer that is far too small, decisive means firm and divisive means causing disagreement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “derisive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.