derisive

adjective

de·​ri·​sive di-ˈrī-siv How to pronounce derisive (audio)
-ziv;
-ˈri-ziv,
-ˈri-siv How to pronounce derisive (audio)
: expressing or causing contemptuous ridicule or scorn : expressing or causing derision
derisive laughter
Given such follies …, it's easy to be derisive of Jerry Lewis …James Wolcott
derisively adverb
derisiveness noun

Examples of derisive in a Sentence

the derisive performances of some of the singers on the talent show
Recent Examples on the Web
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Yet their box-office take was negligible, and many reviews were not just negative but derisive. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025 Fans gave up and drew national attention for paying planes to circle the stadium with derisive banners. Matt Baker, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024 Proponents of the fintech industry call the arrangement Banking-as-a-Service, while the detractors, primarily those concerned with the safety and soundness of the overall financial system, have used the derisive name rent-a-charter. Gene A. Grant Ii, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 No matter its critics or the accumulation of derisive labels—corporate feminism, girlboss feminism, lean-in feminism, white feminism—a feminism of self-interested striving is the order of the day. Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for derisive

Word History

Etymology

see derision

First Known Use

circa 1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of derisive was circa 1662

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Cite this Entry

“Derisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derisive. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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