laughingstock

laughingstock — noun

1. A person or thing that many people make unkind jokes about and openly mock, ofte

1.名詞B2
釋義

A person or thing that many people make unkind jokes about and openly mock, often because of a mistake, failure, or embarrassing quality.

例句

Felipe became the laughingstock of the office after his phone rang during the boss's speech.

become the laughingstock of [group] — passive victim pattern

The mayor's plan to build a bridge to an empty island made him a national laughingstock.

made someone a laughingstock — active (expose to ridicule)

同義詞
  • figure of fun

    more British, slightly lighter tone — suggests teasing rather than cruel mockery

  • object of ridicule

    very similar but more formal; prefers 'object of ridicule to/among' rather than 'a laughingstock of'

  • butt of jokes

    focuses specifically on being the target of jokes, not necessarily broader mockery or shame

  • mockery

    abstract uncountable noun ('His career was a mockery'); not directly interchangeable as a countable person-noun

反義詞
  • role model

    someone admired and looked up to, the opposite of being mocked

  • hero

    someone celebrated for achievements, contrasted with someone ridiculed for failures

文法句型

be/become a laughingstock

make a laughingstock of someone

用法筆記

This noun is almost always used in the singular. Common in passive constructions that describe how a group perceives someone (e.g. 'was made a laughingstock', 'became a laughingstock'). The preposition 'of' or 'among' introduces the community doing the mocking.

常見錯誤

❌He is a laughingstock person.
✅He is a laughingstock.
💡'laughingstock' is already a noun; do not use it as an adjective.
❌The team is the laughingstock of everyone.
✅The team became a laughingstock among rival fans.
💡the phrase 'of everyone' is awkward; use 'of + specific group' or 'among + community'.