derision
/dɪˈɹɪʒən/noun
derision is spelled D-E-R-I-S-I-O-N: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, derision means “Act of treating with disdain” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of derision is derisions.
How many letters and syllables are in derision?
| Letters | 8: D-E-R-I-S-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,998th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is derision?
Derision appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce derision?
- UK /dɪˈɹɪʒən/
Derision has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-derision.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with derision?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as derision from its last stressed vowel (/ɪʒən/, British pronunciation):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: ironside.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of derision
- derisions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does derision mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Act of treating with disdain.
- 2
Something to be derided; a laughing stock.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Derision in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense act of treating with contempt:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dérision |
| German | Hohn, Spott, Verhöhnung, Verspottung, Gespött |
| Portuguese | menosprezo |
| Spanish | irrisión, derrisión |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does derision come from?
From Old French derision, from Latin dērīsiōnem, accusative of dērīsiō, from dērīdēre ("to mock, to laugh at, to deride").
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).