Ridicule

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: rid=i=cule

CIDE DICTIONARY

Ridicule, n. [F. ridicule, L. ridiculum a jest, fr. ridiculus. See Ridiculous.].

•  An object of sport or laughter; a laughingstock; a laughing matter.  [1913 Webster]

  "[Marlborough] was so miserably ignorant, that his deficiencies made him the ridicule of his contemporaries."  [1913 Webster]

  "To the people . . . but a trifle, to the king but a ridicule."  [1913 Webster]
•  Remarks concerning a subject or a person designed to excite laughter with a degree of contempt; wit of that species which provokes contemptuous laughter; disparagement by making a person an object of laughter; banter; -- a term lighter than derision.  [1913 Webster]

  "We have in great measure restricted the meaning of ridicule, which would properly extend over whole region of the ridiculous, -- the laughable, -- and we have narrowed it so that in common usage it mostly corresponds to “derision”, which does indeed involve personal and offensive feelings."  [1913 Webster]

  "Safe from the bar, the pulpit, and the throne,
  Yet touched and shamed by ridicule alone."  [1913 Webster]
•  Quality of being ridiculous; ridiculousness.  [1913 Webster]

  "To see the ridicule of this practice."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Derision; banter; raillery; burlesque; mockery; irony; satire; sarcasm; gibe; jeer; sneer; ribbing.

Ridicule, v. t. 

 To laugh at mockingly or disparagingly; to awaken ridicule toward or respecting.  [1913 Webster]
"I 've known the young, who ridiculed his rage."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To deride; banter; rally; burlesque; mock; satirize; lampoon. See Deride.

Ridicule, a. [F.].

 Ridiculous.  [1913 Webster]
"This action . . . became so ridicule."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Ridicule, n. & v.
--n. subjection to derision or mockery.
--v.tr. make fun of; subject to ridicule; laugh at.

Etymology

F or f. L ridiculum neut. of ridiculus laughable f. ridere laugh

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Ridicule

n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who utters them. It may be graphic, mimetic or merely rident. Shaftesbury is quoted as having pronounced it the test of truth -- a ridiculous assertion, for many a solemn fallacy has undergone centuries of ridicule with no abatement of its popular acceptance. What, for example, has been more valorously derided than the doctrine of Infant Respectability?

THESAURUS

Ridicule

airs, arrogance, badinage, banter, barrack, be above, be contemptuous of, be disrespectful, be merry with, be overfamiliar with, brashness, brassiness, brazenfacedness, brazenness, burlesque, care nothing for, caricature, chaff, cheekiness, clannishness, cliquishness, cockiness, contemn, contempt, contemptuousness, contumely, crack a joke, crack wise, dare, denigrate, denigration, deprecate, deprecation, depreciate, depreciation, deride, deriding, derision, despise, despite, discommend, discommendation, discourtesy, disdain, disdainfulness, disesteem, dishonor, disparage, disparagement, dispraise, disprize, disrespect, disrespectfulness, disvaluation, disvalue, dump on, exchange, exclusiveness, face of brass, feel contempt for, feel superior to, fleer at, flippancy, flout, fooling, fooling around, freshness, fun, get fresh, get smart, gibe, gibe at, gibing, give-and-take, good-natured banter, grin at, guy, harmless teasing, hauteur, have a nerve, have the cheek, have the gall, haze, hold beneath one, hold cheap, hold in contempt, hold in derision, impertinence, impudence, insolence, insult, irreverence, jape, jeer, jeer at, jeering, jest, jibe, jive, joke, josh, joshing, kid, kid around, kidding, kidding around, lack of respect, lampoon, laugh at, laugh to scorn, look down upon, lout, make a funny, make bold, make free with, make fun, make fun of, make game of, make merry with, mimic, misprize, mock, mockery, mocking, not respect, pan, parody, persiflage, pillory, play on words, pleasantry, point at, poke fun at, presume, pun, put down, put one on, quip, quiz, rag, raillery, rally, rallying, rank low, razz, razzing, rib, ribbing, ride, roast, rudeness, scintillate, scoff, scoff at, scorn, scornfulness, scout, send up, set at naught, show disrespect for, smile at, sneer, sneer at, sneeze at, snicker at, sniff at, sniffiness, snigger at, snobbishness, snootiness, snort at, snottiness, sovereign contempt, sparkle, sport, superciliousness, take a liberty, take liberties, take liberties with, taunt, taunting, tease, think nothing of, toploftiness, travesty, treat with disrespect, trifle with, twit, utter a mot, wisecrack

ROGET THESAURUS

Ridicule

Wit

N wit, humor, wittiness, sense of humor, attic wit, attic salt, atticism, salt, esprit, point, fancy, whim, drollery, pleasantry, farce, buffoonery, fooling, tomfoolery, shenanigan, harlequinade, broad farce, broad humor, fun, espieglerie, vis comica, jocularity, jocosity, jocoseness, facetiousness, waggery, waggishness, whimsicality, comicality, banter, badinage, retort, repartee, smartness, ready wit, quid- pro-quo, ridicule, jest, joke, jape, jibe, facetiae, levity, quips and cranks, capital joke, canorae nugae, standing jest, standing joke, private joke, conceit, quip, quirk, crank, quiddity, concetto, plaisanterie, brilliant idea, merry thought, bright thought, happy thought, sally, flash of wit, flash of merriment, scintillation, mot, mot pour rire, witticism, smart saying, bon-mot, jeu d'esprit, epigram, jest book, dry joke, quodlibet, cream of the jest, word-play, jeu de mots, play of words, play upon words, pun, punning, double entente, double entendre, quibble, verbal quibble, conundrum, anagram, acrostic, double acrostic, trifling, idle conceit, turlupinade, old joke, tired joke, flat joke, Joe Miller, witty, attic, quick-witted, nimble-witted, smart, jocular, jocose, humorous, facetious, waggish, whimsical, kidding, joking, puckish, playful, merry and wise, pleasant, sprightly, light, spirituel, sparkling, epigrammatic, full of point, ben trovato, comic, zany, madcap, funny, amusing, jokingly, in joke, in jest, in sport, in play, adhibenda est in jocando moderatio, gentle dullness ever loves a joke, leave this keen encounter of our wits, just joking, just kidding, surely you jest!.

Ridicule

N ridicule, derision, sardonic smile, sardonic grin, irrision, scoffing, mockery, quiz, banter, irony, persiflage, raillery, chaff, badinage, quizzing, asteism, squib, satire, skit, quip, quib, grin, parody, burlesque, travesty, travestie, farce, caricature, buffoonery, practical joke, horseplay, scorn, contempt, derisory, derisive, mock, mocking, sarcastic, ironic, ironical, quizzical, burlesque, Hudibrastic, scurrilous, in ridicule.

VB ridicule, deride, mock, taunt, snigger, laugh in one's sleeve, tease, badinage, banter, rally, chaff, joke, twit, quiz, roast, haze, tehee, fleer, show up, play upon, play tricks upon, fool to the top of one's bent, laugh at, grin at, smile at, poke fun at, satirize, parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty, turn into ridicule, make merry with, make fun of, make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of, rally, scoff, raise a laugh, play the fool, make a fool of oneself.

Disrespect

VB hold in disrespect, misprize, disregard, slight, trifle with, set at naught, pass by, push aside, overlook, turn one's back upon, laugh in one's sleeve, be disrespectful, be discourteous, treat with disrespect, set down, put down, browbeat, dishonor, desecrate, insult, affront, outrage, speak slightingly of, disparage, vilipend, vilify, call names, throw dirt, fling dirt, drag through the mud, point at, indulge in personalities, make mouths, make faces, bite the thumb, take by the beard, pluck by the beard, toss in a blanket, tar and feather, have in derision, hold in derision, deride, scoff, barrack, sneer, laugh at, snigger, ridicule, gibe, mock, jeer, hiss, hoot, taunt, twit, niggle, gleek, gird, flout, fleer, roast, turn into ridicule, burlesque, laugh to scorn, smoke, fool, make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of, play a practical joke, lead one a dance, run the rig upon, have a fling at, scout, mob.

Underestimation

VB underrate, underestimate, undervalue, underreckon, depreciate, disparage, not do justice to, misprize, disprize, ridicule, slight, neglect, slur over, make light of, make little of, make nothing of, make no account of, belittle, minimize, think nothing of, set no store by, set at naught, shake off as dewdrops from the lion's mane.