The word for today is…
deride (verb) –
1 : to laugh at or insult contemptuously
2 : to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule or criticism
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : When deride was borrowed into English in the 16th century, it came to us by combining the prefix de- with ridere, a Latin verb meaning “to laugh.” Ridere is also the ancestor of the English words risible (“laughable”) and ridiculous. Of course, English has a number of words meaning “to laugh at unkindly”; in addition to deride, we have ridicule, mock, and taunt. Deride suggests laughter loaded with contemptuousness or bitterness, whereas ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling (“consistently ridiculed everything she said”). Mock implies scorn often ironically expressed by mimicry or sham deference (“mocking the speaker’s impassioned tones”). Taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge (“hometown fans taunted the visiting team”).
If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.
