Friday, November 10, 2017

Interesting words: Derisory

Derisory is an adjective meaning either "expressing derision" or "worthy of derision, especially 'particularly small'" (per Merriam Webster). Derision, in turn, means "the use of ridicule or scorn to show contempt".

The first known use of "derisory" is from 1618.  Derisory is a pretty rare word, per Google Ngram, it's 1 in every 8.3 million words, where derision is used about 10 times more often.  Interestingly, though, derision is getting rarer over time while derisory is getting more common. In 1900, the ratio was about 100 to 1.

The origin of both words is linked to deride, which comes from Middle French derider and earlier from Latin deridere "to ridicule, laugh, or scorn".

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