derided

Derided is the past tense and past participle of the verb deride. It means to express contempt for, or to ridicule or mock openly. Deride can take a direct object (deride someone or something) or be used with a clause (deriding that policy is misguided).

Usage notes indicate that deride often implies clear, active contempt or scorn, and it is frequently used in formal, critical, or journalistic contexts. It suggests a more pointed or public form of dismissal than terms like mock or ridicule, though all share a sense of demeaning ridicule. The passive voice is common: The proposal was derided by critics.

Etymologically, deride derives from Latin derīdēre, meaning to laugh down, from de- (down) and ridēre (to laugh). The form entered English via Old French derider before becoming established in Middle English and modern usage. Related forms include derision (noun) and derisive (adjective).

Examples of usage include: The theory was derided as impractical. The crowd derided the speaker’s claims. In analytic writing, observers may contrast ideas that are derided with those that gain serious consideration.

Derided shares semantic territory with related terms such as ridicule, mock, scoff, and disparage, but the word often conveys a stronger sense of contempt and public dismissal. Antonyms include admire, praise, and applaud.