gibe / jibe vs scoff vs scorn vs taunt vs jeer vs mock

Question

Hello guys,Could you please tell me the difference between these words / synonyms? I sought out in the dictionary, but it's not clear enough to me.I'm interested only in the "speaking" sense of the words, so for instance, to "scorn" by saying something - which I find it's exactly the same as "scoffing".Could you please clarify these words to me?Thanks!

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

These all have a similar meaning: to tease or ridicule. But they are typically used differently. Some examples of usage:

"They gibed/jibed each other playfully." (Gibe and jibe are the same word. These are just alternate spellings of the same word. The sense here is playful teasing. Thus, scoffed, scorned, taunted, and jeered cannot be substituted here, as these 4 words have a much harsher sense. Mocked might be substituted here, but then this gives a less playful sense to the sentence.)

"He scoffed at my remarks." (The sense here is contemptuous. Gibed, scorned, taunted, and mocked cannot be used with the preposition "at," in this context. Jeered might be substituted here, but then this would give a harsher, more confrontational sense to the sentence.)

"He scorned me for my remarks." (The sense here is of ridicule by avoidance. Gibed, scoffed, taunted, jeered, and mocked cannot be substituted here, as they don't convey this sense of avoidance.)

"He taunted me for my remarks." (The sense here is of ridicule of a provoking nature. Gibe is too mild and playful to be substituted here. The phrase "scoffed me" is ungrammatical. Scorned has a different sense. Jeered and mocked might be substituted here, but they give a less provocative sense than taunt.)

"He jeered me for my remarks." (The sense here is of loud, crude ridicule. Gibed is too mild and playful to be used here. "Scoffed me" is ungrammatical. Scorned gives a different sense. Taunted has a different sense. Mocked might be substituted, but it then the sense is less loud and crude.)

"He mocked me for my remarks." (The sense here is of irritating, ironic teasing. Gibed is too mild to be used. "Scoff me" is ungrammatical. Scorned gives a different sense. Taunted and jeered might be substituted, but they lack the ironic sense of mocked.

gibe / jibe vs scoff vs scorn vs taunt vs jeer vs mock

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