揶揄

yéyú
verb #32,425

Meanings

  1. 1 to mock
  2. 2 to ridicule
  3. 3 to tease

Examples

Tóngxuémen yéyú tā chuān le nǚzhuāng.
His classmates mocked him for wearing women's clothes.
Tā yòng yéyú de kǒuqì huídá jìzhě.
He answered the reporter in a mocking tone.

Tips

history
An old word — both characters appear together in 《·》 (Han dynasty), where Wang Ba is jeered at by 'people in the marketplace, all bursting into laughter and lifting hands to ridicule (揶揄) him.' The meaning hasn't shifted in 2000 years.
register
Literary, slightly old-fashioned. Spoken Chinese prefers 嘲笑 (cháoxiào) or 取笑 (qǔxiào). 揶揄 implies a more pointed, witty mockery rather than crude teasing.

Stroke Order