Ridicules or makes fun of someone or something in a scornful or contemptuous manner; imitates in order to ridicule.
From Middle French mocquer meaning 'to deride', possibly from Middle Dutch mocken meaning 'to mumble'. The word may be imitative of the sounds made during mockery.
Mockery is perhaps humanity's cruelest social tool - it weaponizes imitation, turning our remarkable ability to mirror others into a form of psychological warfare. The word itself may come from the mumbling or muttering sounds people make when deriding others, making it one of our few verbs that might actually echo the behavior it describes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.