laughing stock

See also: laughingstock and laughing-stock

English

Alternative forms

• laughingstock, laughing-stock

Etymology

From laughing +‎ stock (“source, supply; butt, target”). Compare also whipping-stock, jesting-stock.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

laughing stock (plural laughing stocks)

1. (idiomatic) An object of ridicule, someone who is publicly ridiculed; the butt of a joke.
   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     Pray you let us not be
     laughing-stocks to other men's humours.

   • 1856 February, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Oliver Goldsmith”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC:

     When he talked, he talked nonsense, and made himself the laughing-stock of his hearers.

   • 2004 September 12, Judy Battista, “Pro Football: NFL Matchups, Week 1”, in New York Times, retrieved 19 April 2009:

     If anyone can restore dignity to a franchise that has been close to a laughing stock in the last few years, it's Gibbs.

   • 2019 February 19, Annie Cohen, 'Yes, There’s Anti-Semitism In Labour. No, Those Politicians Didn’t Quit Over It.', The Forward (retrieved 21 February 2019):

     The split was supposedly triggered by racism — specifically anti-Jewish racism. But on this front, the Independent Group have already become a laughingstock.

   • 2020 December 2, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in Rail, page 54:

     Toronto Transit Corporation had real issues. [...] My boss was removed in a coup three months after my arrival. I stood in and my learning curve went through the roof. Over five years, we went from being a laughing stock to winning awards.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:laughingstock

Translations

object of ridicule

• Arabic: أُضْحُوكَة f (ʔuḍḥūka), مَضْحَكَة f (maḍḥaka), مَسْخَرَة f (masḵara)
• Belarusian: пасме́шышча n (pasmjéšyšča)
• Bulgarian: посме́шище (bg) n (posméšište)
• Catalan: riota (ca) f, rialla (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 笑柄 (zh) (xiàobǐng)

• Finnish: naurunaihe
• French: risée (fr) f, objet de moquerie m
• German: Lachnummer (de) f; Witzfigur (de) f, Gespött (de) n
• Greek: αναγέλασμα (el) n (anagélasma), περίγελος (el) m (perígelos), ρεζίλι (el) n (rezíli), σούργελο (el) n (soúrgelo)
• Indonesian: bahan tertawaan
• Irish: airí an mhagaidh f, beithé m, ceap magaidh m, paor m, staic mhagaidh f, staicín áiféise m
• Italian: zimbello (it) m, oggetto di scherno m
• Japanese: 笑い者 (わらいもの, waraimono), 笑い種 (わらいぐさ, waraigusa), 笑柄 (しょうへい, shōhei)
• Korean: 웃음거리 (useumgeori)
• Latin: lūdībrium n, irrīdiculum n
• Maori: whakakatanga, omeke
• Norman: riselée f (Jersey)
• Persian: مچل (fa) (mačal), مضحکه (fa) (mazhake), خنده خریش (fa) (xande-xeriš), خریخه (xerixe)
• Polish: pośmiewisko (pl) n
• Portuguese: ludíbrio m
• Russian: посме́шище (ru) n (posméšišče)
• Spanish: hazmerreír m
• Swedish: driftkucku (sv) c
• Turkish: maskara (tr)
• Ukrainian: посміхо́вище n (posmixóvyšče), сміхо́вище n (smixóvyšče), посміхо́висько n (posmixóvysʹko), сміхо́висько n (smixóvysʹko)
• Welsh: cyff gwawd m