Pronunciation: /skɔf/

Definitions of scoff

noun an act of scornful or contemptuous laughter or remarks

Example Sentences

A1 She gave a scoff when she heard the bad news.

A2 The child's scoff at the vegetables on his plate was evident.

B1 His scoff at the new company policy did not go unnoticed.

B2 The politician's scoff at the opposition's proposal caused controversy.

C1 Her scoff at the scientific research was unwarranted and disrespectful.

C2 The professor's intellectual scoff at the student's thesis was discouraging.

verb to speak to someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way

Example Sentences

A1 She scoffed at the idea of eating bugs.

A2 He scoffed at the suggestion that he needed help.

B1 The expert scoffed at the amateur's attempt to fix the car.

B2 Despite her success, some still scoffed at her abilities.

C1 The professor scoffed at the outdated research presented by his colleague.

C2 The artist scoffed at critics who claimed her work lacked depth.

Examples of scoff in a Sentence

formal She couldn't help but scoff at the lack of professionalism in the presentation.

informal When he said he could beat her in a race, she just scoffed and walked away.

slang I heard him scoff at the idea of going to that party, he's such a snob.

figurative The old man would often scoff at the younger generation, claiming they had it easy compared to his youth.

Grammatical Forms of scoff

past tense

scoffed

plural

scoffs

comparative

more scoffing

superlative

most scoffing

present tense

scoff

future tense

will scoff

perfect tense

have scoffed

continuous tense

is scoffing

singular

scoff

positive degree

scoff

infinitive

to scoff

gerund

scoffing

participle

scoffed

Origin and Evolution of scoff

First Known Use: 1300 year
Language of Origin: Old French
Story behind the word: The word 'scoff' originated from the Old French word 'escoffer' which meant to mock or deride.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'scoff' has retained its meaning of mocking or ridiculing, but has also taken on a connotation of disdain or contempt towards something or someone.