Scoffs

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To express scorn or derision through mocking words or laughter; to dismiss something with contemptuous remarks or gestures; to belittle someone or an idea by using derogatory tones or expressions
2. Expresses dismissive laughter or comments that show contempt or disbelief
3. Mocks or ridicules something in a way that conveys scorn or derision

Etymology: "Scoffs" is the third-person singular present form of "scoff," so the story belongs to the verb itself. The verb reached English in Middle English as "scof" or "skof," and its likeliest origin lies in the North Germanic languages of Scandinavia, where cognates meant "insult" or "shame." Old Norse "skaup," Old Danish "skof," and Old Frisian "skof" all carry that sense of disgrace, and Old High German "scoph" joins them. The English word thus began as a noun for an insult before it became a verb for the act of jeering at someone. A second line of descent runs through a different word. Scoff also has a variant, "scaff," first recorded in the mid-19th century, whose origin is uncertain. That variant is also linked to "scarf," in the sense of eating quickly and greedily. Whether the two senses truly share a root is not settled, so the connection is best treated as a possibility rather than a certainty.

Synonyms: mock, ridicule, jeer, taunt, deride

Antonyms: praise, compliment, applaud, approve, laud