Mockeries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Expressions of ridicule or contempt that mimic someone or something to highlight flaws or absurdities
2. Acts of derision that involve imitating others in a sarcastic or humorous manner
3. Instances where behavior is imitated mockingly to provoke laughter or scorn

Etymology: "Mockeries" is the plural of "mockery," which came into English in Middle English as "mokkery," borrowed from Anglo-Norman "mokerie" and Middle French "mocquerie" or "moquerie," all meaning mockery. The French verb "moquer," meaning "to mock," is the base, with the suffix "-erie" attached, the same ending that gives English words like "bakery" and "finery" their sense of a place, practice, or collection of things. The verb's own origin is uncertain. It may trace back to Medieval Greek "mōkós," meaning "mocker," though another suggestion links it to Arabic "makr," meaning "scheme" or "plot." The second possibility is worth noticing: a word for trickery may have drifted toward the idea of jeering at someone. In English, "mockery" therefore sits comfortably beside its root "mock," and the plural "mockeries" simply counts separate instances of that jeering or imitation, whether a single cruel impression or a string of them.

Synonyms: mocking, ridicules, taunts

Antonyms: compliments, praises