Meaning & use
ridicule
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Meanings
noununcountable
Unkind words or actions that make someone or something seem foolish.
Grammar: Uncountable: you say 'ridicule', not 'a ridicule' or 'ridicules'.
Patterns
- subject someone to ridicule
- an object of ridicule
- hold someone up to ridicule
- fear ridicule
The new policy was met with ridicule from the public.
He was afraid of ridicule, so he never shared his ideas.
Her early paintings were an object of ridicule, but now they are famous.
verbtransitive
To make fun of someone or something in a scornful way.
Grammar: Takes an object: ridicule someone or something.
Patterns
- ridicule someone
- ridicule something
- be ridiculed for something
The press ridiculed him for his strange outfit.
She was ridiculed for asking a simple question.
Don't ridicule your classmates when they make mistakes.
Word forms
| third person singular | ridicules |
|---|---|
| past tense | ridiculed |
| past participle | ridiculed |
| -ing form | ridiculing |
Common combinations
- subject someone to ridicule
- The article subjected the mayor to ridicule.
- an object of ridicule
- After the mistake, he became an object of ridicule.
- hold someone up to ridicule
- The comedian held the politician up to ridicule.
- fear ridicule
- Many students fear ridicule from their peers.
- ridicule someone for something
- They ridiculed her for her accent.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mockery
- Mockery is very close in meaning but often suggests a more playful or continuous making fun; ridicule is stronger and more scornful.
- derision
- Derision is a formal word for contemptuous laughter or mockery; ridicule is more common and can be used as both noun and verb.
- taunt
- A taunt is a specific insulting remark, while ridicule is the general act or feeling of making someone look foolish.
Opposites
Word family
- ridiculous adjective
- Deserving or inviting mockery; very silly or unreasonable.
- ridiculously adverb
- In a way that is silly or unreasonable.
Commonly confused: ridicule or ridiculous?
ridicule vs ridiculous
Ridicule is the noun or verb; ridiculous is the adjective meaning 'silly'. You ridicule someone, but the person may look ridiculous.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
As a noun, 'ridicule' is uncountable, so it is used without 'a' or a plural. 'Ridiculing' is the -ing form of the verb and does not fit after 'of' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ridicule”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.