Outsiders tend to scoff at Esperanto as an idealistic waste of time.
Source: tatoeba (3610729)
Scoff
/skɒf/
Synonyms for "scoff" (151 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (31)
Strong matches (45)
Related words (75)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: mockery, affront, aspersion, atrocity, back answer.
- Sentence evidence is available for scoff, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "scoff".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "scoff"
Keep "scoff" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "scoff" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "scoff", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "scoff" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
27 entriesShowing 16 of 27 words.
More specific
11 entriesCollocations
11 entriesderisive scoffmild scoffmocking scoffscoff atscoff at the claimscoff at the datascoff derisivelyscoff downscoff openlysnide scoffverbal scoff
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
41 translations across 17 languages.
Bulgarian
2 entries- подигравам се verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- присмивам се verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Czech
2 entries- dělat si legraci verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- vysmívat se verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Dutch
1 entries- spotten verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Finnish
2 entries- nauraa ivaten verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- nauraa pilkaten verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
French
4 entries- faire fi verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- se gausser verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- se moquer verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- snober verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
German
1 entries- verlachen verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Hungarian
3 entries- gúnyolódik verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- kigúnyol verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- kinevet verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Icelandic
3 entries- draga dár verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- gera gys verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- hæða verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Indonesian
1 entries- menyindir verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Italian
4 entries- deridere verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- fare il verso verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- motteggiare verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- schernire verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Latin
1 entries- cavillor verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Māori
3 entries- aniani verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- taunu verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- tāwai verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Occitan
2 entries- se garçar verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- se trufar verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Romanian
2 entries- batjocori verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- ridiculiza verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Russian
2 entries- насмехаться verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- осмеивать verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Spanish
4 entries- burlarse verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- escarnecer verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- hacerse de la boca chiquita verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- mofarse verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Welsh
2 entries- gwatwar verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
- gwawdio verb (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
Sample sentences
17 total sentences available.
I scoff at it.
Source: tatoeba (5068879)
I'm not going to change my opinion no matter how much you scoff.
Source: tatoeba (6020428)
If you want to change someone's opinion on something, the worst way to do it is to scoff at them.
Source: tatoeba (6020430)
Showing 4 of 17 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "scoff"?
Closest matches include mockery, affront, aspersion, atrocity, back answer.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "scoff"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.