laughingstock

noun

laugh·​ing·​stock ˈla-fiŋ-ˌstäk How to pronounce laughingstock (audio)
ˈlä-
: an object of ridicule

Examples of laughingstock in a Sentence

The team has become the laughingstock of the league. The mayor became a laughingstock.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Rocketeer was followed by V.I. Warshawski, the Kathleen Turner film that became a Hollywood laughingstock. Jeanie Kasindorf, Vulture, 10 July 2024 Under Pikiell, the Scarlet Knights have transformed in recent years from a laughingstock to a legitimate Big Ten conference program. Tim Casey, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Getting them just from laughingstocks to respectably bad — let alone a winning team again — is going to require a shift in philosophy from the top of the organization. Jared Wyllys, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Herzog has become a laughingstock, both within his own party and publicly. Neri Zilber, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2016 See all Example Sentences for laughingstock 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1518, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of laughingstock was circa 1518

Dictionary Entries Near laughingstock

Cite this Entry

“Laughingstock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laughingstock. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

laughingstock

noun
laugh·​ing·​stock ˈlaf-iŋ-ˌstäk How to pronounce laughingstock (audio)
ˈlȧf-
: a person or thing that is made fun of

More from Merriam-Webster on laughingstock

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!