showing or characterized by derision; mocking; scornful
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
de•ri•sive
(di rī′siv),USA pronunciation adj.
de•ri′sive•ly, adv.
de•ri′sive•ness, n.
- characterized by or expressing derision; contemptuous;
mocking:derisive heckling.
- deris(ion) + -ive 1655–65
de•ri′sive•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
de•ri•sion /dɪˈrɪʒən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
de•ri•sive•ly, adv.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- the act of deriding; contempt:an object of derision.
de•ri•sive•ly, adv.
de•ri•sion
(di rizh′ən),USA pronunciation n.
de•ris•i•ble
(di riz′ə bəl),USA pronunciation adj.
- ridicule; mockery:The inept performance elicited derision from the audience.
- an object of ridicule.
- Late Latin dērīsiōn- (stem of dērīsiō), equivalent. to Latin dērīs(us) mocked (past participle of dērīdēre; see deride) + -iōn- -ion
- Old French derision
- Middle English derisioun 1350–1400
'derisive' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):