Words / C1

RID-ik-yool/ˈrɪdɪkjuːl/

To ridicule is to make someone or something look stupid: ridicule an idea, an object of ridicule. Mock and laugh at are everyday; satire is a crafted public form. Ridiculous is the adjective (absurd). Do not ridicule a factual correction in a methods section.

Meaning

To make someone or something seem stupid by laughing at them.

Examples

• “Do not ridicule a first draft in a public forum.”
• “The sketch ridiculed the slogan, not the patients in the waiting room.”
• “Fear of ridicule keeps bad slides alive; a closed review is kinder and sharper.”

Good to know

Mock; make it look silly. Everyday: laugh at. Adjective: ridiculous. Crafted public cousin: satire. Noun: an object of ridicule.

Near in meaning

mock

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