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deride

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To mock, ridicule, or laugh at scornfully; used in satirical and dramatic poetry to express contempt or social disdain.

Detailed Definition
Deride is a somewhat literary verb meaning to ridicule or treat with contempt. In the poem, the speaker invites abuse with “Starve, scourge, deride me,” using a harsh, elevated word that fits the poem’s bitter, self-aware tone.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb” makes deride an act of scornful mockery; “They deride the dreamer’s plan” shows ridicule directed at a person or hope; The verb often exposes cruelty in social, political, or religious conflict; “Let them deride our tenderness” turns mockery into a challenge of resistance
Additional Notes
In “Starve, scourge, deride me,” the verb is literary and less common than everyday words like mock or laugh at.; Found in the poem, The Donkey by G. K. Chesterton
Also Known As
mock ridicule scorn jeer
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