scoff 1 of 2

as in to devour
to swallow or eat greedily scoffed dinner before running off to the basketball game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scoff

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word scoff distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of scoff are fleer, flout, gibe, jeer, and sneer. While all these words mean "to show one's contempt in derision or mockery," scoff stresses insolence, disrespect, or incredulity as motivating the derision.

scoffed at their concerns

In what contexts can fleer take the place of scoff?

While in some cases nearly identical to scoff, fleer suggests grinning or grimacing derisively.

the saucy jackanapes fleered at my credulity

When can flout be used instead of scoff?

Although the words flout and scoff have much in common, flout stresses contempt shown by refusal to heed.

flouted the conventions of polite society

When might gibe be a better fit than scoff?

In some situations, the words gibe and scoff are roughly equivalent. However, gibe implies taunting either good-naturedly or in sarcastic derision.

hooted and gibed at the umpire

When could jeer be used to replace scoff?

The synonyms jeer and scoff are sometimes interchangeable, but jeer suggests a coarser more undiscriminating derision.

the crowd jeered at the prisoners

Where would sneer be a reasonable alternative to scoff?

The words sneer and scoff can be used in similar contexts, but sneer stresses insulting by contemptuous facial expression, phrasing, or tone of voice.

sneered at anything romantic

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 scoff
Verb
The former official scoffed at the notion that the information Hegseth released was unclassified. Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2025 And in the hours after the text chat was revealed, aides who worked for Clinton scoffed at the news. Amie Parnes, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
As the ancient practice of yoga morphs to meet ever-shifting American tastes, Charlotte is embracing a new variation that might have drawn scoffs just a few years ago. Roland Wilkerson, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 That drew scoffs of laughter from the Democratic side of the aisle. Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri, Stephen Groves and Keving Freking The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for scoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scoff
Verb
  • Dislodged aphids rarely find their way back up and are often devoured by spiders and ground beetles.
    Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
  • For decades, they were cast as invasive predators in American dining, displacing or devouring the small restaurants that came before.
    Meghan McCarron Phil Donohue, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Despite the show's ruminations revolving around Dorian's ego, there is no vanity in this performance where Snook sweats, sneers, and dashes across stage.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • One is Giovanni Battista Moroni’s Portrait of a Woman (ca. 1575), in which a leery-eyed woman stares down at her viewer, pressing her lips into the faintest of sneers.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But inhaling enough can turn the act of breathing into an existential hazard, prompting or worsening asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, and permanent lung damage.
    Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Another great one is the 4-7-8 breath, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system: inhale for four counts, hold for seven and exhale slowly for eight.
    Michelle Stansbury, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Little things, like the close-ups of Moss’s face with her little smirk, used so frequently as to lose all meaning, began to irritate me.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The fifth season began with the smirk seen ’round the globe, pitting June Osborne (Moss) against Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski).
    Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • That meant, gulp, 11 hot dogs had to be consumed in the game, which lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Papa uses this moment to gulp the wine in Elijah's cup.
    Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Why, many onlookers have asked, should an orchestra or opera company gobble up millions of dollars from wealthy sponsors to subsidize the salaries of musicians who mainly perform music by white men from centuries past, music for which (judging by ticket sales) demand is limited?
    Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Putin is not feigning peace to stay on Trump’s good side merely to gobble up more Ukrainian territory.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scoff. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on scoff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!