ridicule
rid·i·cule/ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/verb, noun
ridicule is spelled R-I-D-I-C-U-L-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (rid·i·cule). It appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,537th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, ridicule means “To criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in ridicule?
| Letters | 8: R-I-D-I-C-U-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: rid·i·cule |
| In writing | 2.2 times per million words; the 18,537th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is ridicule?
Ridicule appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,537th 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 ridicule?
- /ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/
Ridicule has 3 syllables, split rid·i·cule in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-ridicule.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of ridicule
- ridicules present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- ridiculing participle, present
- ridiculed participle, past
- more ridicule comparative
- most ridicule superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ridicule mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of.
His older sibling constantly ridiculed him with sarcastic remarks.
noun
- 1
Derision; mocking or humiliating words or behavior.
- 2
An object of sport or laughter; a laughing stock.
- 3
The quality of being ridiculous; ridiculousness.
- 4
A small woman's handbag; a reticule.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteridiculous
late 17th century, John Aubrey, Brief Lives This action […] became so ridicule.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ridicule in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ridiculiser, tourner en dérision, tourner en ridicule |
| German | verspotten |
| Portuguese | ridicularizar |
| Spanish | ridiculizar, poner en ridículo, poner en solfa , ridiculización |
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 ridicule come from?
The obsolete adjective is borrowed from French ridicule, from Latin rīdiculus (“laughable, comical, amusing, absurd, ridiculous”), from ridere (“to laugh”). The noun is either from French, noun use of adjective, or from Latin rīdiculum, noun use of neuter of rīdiculus. The verb is from the noun or else from French ridiculer, from ridicule.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).