mock 1 of 3

verb

ˈmäk How to pronounce mock (audio)
Definition of mocknext
1
as in to parody
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of team members good-naturedly mocked the coach's familiar bellow

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2
as in to ridicule
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter the fashion gurus loved to mock the famous couple for their unsophisticated clothes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disobey
to go against the commands, prohibitions, or rules of a person willing to mock the religious prohibition against working on the Sabbath

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mock

2 of 3

adjective

1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials mock turtle soup

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2
as in fake
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality since I had inadvertently learned what I was getting, I opened the present with mock surprise

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mock

3 of 3

noun

1
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of they made a mock of the new recruit in front of the whole unit

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2
as in copy
something that is made to look exactly like something else obviously, the "priceless" Grecian urn that is destroyed in the movie was a mock

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word mock distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of mock are ape, copy, imitate, and mimic. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

When is ape a more appropriate choice than mock?

The synonyms ape and mock are sometimes interchangeable, but ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

When would copy be a good substitute for mock?

While the synonyms copy and mock are close in meaning, copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

Where would imitate be a reasonable alternative to mock?

Although the words imitate and mock have much in common, imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

When is it sensible to use mimic instead of mock?

While in some cases nearly identical to mock, mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mock
Verb
Following a tweet in which Mistress mocked Tina’s questionable aesthetics, these two openly, congenially despise each other. —Chris Feil, Vulture, 23 May 2025 Read: The attack on trans rights won’t end there The impossible becoming possible is a hard thing to process—and easier to reject or mock than to understand. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Adjective
After achieving its planned trajectory in space, Starship's upper stage tried to deploy a set of mock Starlink satellites to test its payload deployment capabilities. —Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 27 May 2025 The system is designed to familiarize you with basic vocabulary quickly and reinforce its use through mock conversations. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 25 May 2025
Noun
Alabama had the second most players in the mock with four, while the Miami Hurricanes and Ohio State Buckeyes each had three. —Matt Galatzan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025 The fifth quarterback drafted in this mock, Mendoza was a pleasant surprise when watching the Cal offense this past season. —Dane Brugler, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mock
  1. parody
  2. ridicule
  3. disobey
  4. faux
  5. fake
  6. joke
  7. copy
  8. imitate
Verb
  • The spaghetti example later became well-known enough that Smith parodied it almost a year later in February 2024.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
  • Content Creators And Brand Ambassadors Gstaad Guy parades in Loro Piana, and the European Kid parodies luxury culture.
    — Matteo Atti, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Definition of parody
Verb
  • Managers ran through rows of their peers and announced their area’s sales performance, ridiculing poor performers.
    — Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2025
  • Clinton was ridiculed for his obsession with infrastructure until the numbers proved him out: the canal transformed New York City into an economic powerhouse, and its population surged to more than two hundred thousand.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Definition of ridicule
Verb
  • The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, rebuked Apple for thwarting a previous ruling in the lawsuit and said the company needed to be stopped from further disobeying the court.
    — Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • She was taken to Troop A in Southbury and charged with engaging police in pursuit, interfering with an officer, disobeying the signal of an officer, operation of a motor vehicle under suspension and operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of disobey
Adjective
  • These slippers are available in men’s and women’s sizes, and are designed with a suede upper and a plush faux fur lining that yields a buttery-soft feel.
    — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 3 June 2025
  • The designer of the faux fur coat Lopez wore in the photos reportedly reposted the image.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 20 May 2025
Definition of faux
Adjective
  • There’s a backdrop of fake news and collective anxiety.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 June 2025
  • Federal agents concluded that many of the documents, which were turned over by an attorney representing the restaurant, were fake or falsified, according to the warrant.
    — Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
Definition of fake
Noun
  • The site’s users took great joy in watching the feud in real time, responding to the showdown between the president and the world’s wealthiest man with jokes and memes.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Surrounded by her animals at home, Lin watched re-runs of The Big Bang Theory, practicing the cadence of the words, the rising sound of a joke, the pacing of each phrase.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Definition of joke
Noun
  • According to Florida’s Medicaid website, out-of-state providers who have treated one of its enrollees must submit five documents to bill the program, including a six-page application, a copy of the provider’s license, and a claim form.
    — Arielle Zionts, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
  • The Harry Potter series has sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, according to its U.S. publisher Scholastic, and has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for 843 weeks and counting.
    — Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of copy
Verb
  • Life is not imitating art for The White Lotus stars Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood.
    — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 4 June 2025
  • One example is the achievement of Heinz ketchup in validating its market dominance by showing how art imitates life, and AI imitates humans.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Definition of imitate

Browse Nearby Words

moccasins
mock
mocked
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Cite this Entry

“Mock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mock. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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