What does "jeer" mean?
A mocking remark or reflection.
Jeer
/d͡ʒɪə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A mocking remark or reflection.
- Grammar: jeer is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: mockery, scoff, affront, aspersion.
- Useful contrasts: bravo, hoorahs, hurrah.
- Usage evidence: A guide, on finding a man who has lost his way, brings him back to the right path — he does not mock and jeer at him and then take himself off.
How to use "jeer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "jeer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "jeer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "jeer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "jeer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "jeer" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mockery" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "jeer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A mocking remark or reflection.
"1711, Jonathan Swift, The Fable of Midas, in The Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Vol XII, Sir Walter Scott, ed., Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co., 1824, pages 302-5, Midas, exposed to all their jeers, Had lost his art, and kept his ears."
- 2 A gear; a tackle.
- 3 showing your contempt by derision wordnet
- 4 An assemblage or combination of tackles, for hoisting or lowering the yards of a ship. in-plural
"In the nineteenth century, 1811 to be exact, the jeers were unrove after the yard was slung, the weight of the yard being borne by chain slings. The jeers used then were a treble block lashed to the mast head through a hole in the center of the top"
Verb
- 1 To utter sarcastic or mocking comments; to speak with mockery or derision; to use taunting language. intransitive
"But when he saw her toy, and gibe, and geare, / And passe the bonds of modest merimake, / Her dalliance he despisd, and follies did forsake."
- 2 laugh at with contempt and derision wordnet
- 3 To mock; treat with mockery; to taunt. archaic, transitive
"And if we cannot jeer them, we jeer ourselves."
Example
"A guide, on finding a man who has lost his way, brings him back to the right path — he does not mock and jeer at him and then take himself off."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "jeer"?
Common synonyms include: mockery, scoff, affront, aspersion, atrocity, back answer.
How do you use "jeer" in a sentence?
A guide, on finding a man who has lost his way, brings him back to the right path — he does not mock and jeer at him and then take himself off.
How do you pronounce "jeer"?
Pronounced /d͡ʒɪə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From earlier gyr, probably from Dutch gieren (“to roar with laughter, laugh loudly”) (related to German gieren (“to gape, snap”)); or from Dutch gekscheren (“to jeer”, literally “to shear the fool”), from gek (“a fool”) (see geck) + scheren (“to shear”) (see shear (verb)). The OED states no verifiable connection to English cheer.
Etymology 2
Compare gear.