mock

mock — verb

1. To say unkind things about someone or copy their voice, movements, or appearance

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

To say unkind things about someone or copy their voice, movements, or appearance in a way that makes them look foolish or silly.

Example

The older boys mocked Kenji for his accent during his first week at school.

mock + someone + for + something

Folake felt hurt when her classmates mocked the way she pronounced certain words.

Common collocations
  • mock + for + [reason]
  • mock + [appearance/voice/accent]
  • openly mock
  • cruelly mock
Synonyms
  • ridicule

    more formal and intellectual; focuses on making ideas or efforts seem absurd

  • tease

    lighter in tone, can be affectionate between friends

  • make fun of

    common informal phrase; can be cruel or playful

  • deride

    formal and literary; expresses strong contempt

Antonyms
  • praise

    express warm approval or admiration

  • compliment

    express polite praise or admiration

Grammar Patterns

mock + someone/something

mock + someone + for + something

Usage Note

Frequently used with the preposition 'for' to state the reason for the mockery. Can also be used intransitively: 'Stop mocking!'

Common Mistakes

She was mocking at his new haircut.
She was mocking his new haircut.
'mock' is transitive and does not take 'at' in standard English.
He mocked about her singing voice.
He mocked her singing voice.
'mock' takes a direct object without a preposition.

2. To make a rule, system, effort, or standard seem so weak or ineffective that it

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

To make a rule, system, effort, or standard seem so weak or ineffective that it looks worthless or even ridiculous.

Example

The tiny fine mocked the company's serious pollution of the local river.

Hamza felt that the school's dress code was mocked by students who ignored it daily.

passive: was mocked by

Common collocations
  • mock + [effort/attempt/rules/standards]
  • mock + [salary/fine/punishment]
  • completely mock
  • utterly mock
Synonyms
  • undermine

    weaken something gradually; less dramatic than mock

  • trivialize

    make something seem less important or serious than it is

  • render futile

    more formal; emphasises that effort becomes pointless

Antonyms
  • uphold

    maintain or support something such as a rule or standard

  • honour

    fulfil or respect an agreement, principle, or standard

Grammar Patterns

mock + noun phrase

Usage Note

The subject is typically a concrete thing (a fine, a salary, a lack of enforcement) that makes a system or effort seem pointless. Common in formal or critical writing.

Common Mistakes

His rude behaviour mocked at the teacher's authority.
His rude behaviour mocked the teacher's authority.
Even in this abstract sense, 'mock' does not take 'at'.
Phrasal verbs

mock up

phrasal verb

To make a quick or simple model of something to show how it will look or work.

The designer mocked up the new website layout in one afternoon.

Can you mock up a prototype of the product for the meeting?

mock — adjective

mock — noun

Word family

  • mocking
    adjectiveB2
  • mockingly
    adverbC1
  • mockery
    nounC1
  • mocker
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four describe treating someone with a lack of respect, but they differ in tone and formality. 'Mock' often involves imitating someone's voice, appearance, or actions to make them look foolish; it can be openly cruel and is usually done in front of others. 'Ridicule' is more formal and intellectual — it targets someone's ideas, efforts, or beliefs by highlighting how absurd they seem. 'Tease' is lighter and can be affectionate between friends ('My brother teases me about my cooking'), though it still has the power to hurt. 'Make fun of' is the most common everyday phrase and works in both informal and slightly formal contexts. For example: older students mocked the new student's accent; critics ridiculed the proposal as unrealistic; friends teased each other over old photos; and everyone made fun of the boss's terrible jokes.

mock ↗ridiculeteasemake fun of

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'mock' entered Middle English from Old French 'mocquer', meaning to deride or jeer at someone. The origin of the French word is unknown — it appeared suddenly in the 1100s with no clear Latin root. The original verb sense of 'imitate in order to ridicule' later gave rise to the adjective meaning 'not real but made to look genuine' in the 1800s, and to the noun sense of 'practice exam' in early 20th-century British schools.