they scoffed at him
they did not take him seriously
TRANSLATION
scoff = höhnen, spötteln --- GOOGLE INDEX scoff: approximately 1,300,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Even when others SCOFFED at the idea of a flying machine, the Wright brothers refused to give up, until they made history at Kitty Hawk with the world's first successful airplane flight.
(The Wright Brothers, by Quentin Reynolds)
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For two years he SCOFFED at people who said his government was galloping toward a financial crisis.
(The Chicago Tribune)
(The Wright Brothers, by Quentin Reynolds)
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For two years he SCOFFED at people who said his government was galloping toward a financial crisis.
(The Chicago Tribune)
Did you
know?
scoff
verb
- to laugh and speak about a person or idea in a way, which shows that you think they are stupid or ridiculous
- to eat something quickly and eagerly
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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WORD ORIGIN
Scoff probably stems from a from a Scandinavian source such as the Old Norse "skaup or skop," meaning mockery, or from the Middle Danish skof, "jest, mockery."
Scoff implies a bit of arrogance on the part of the person who is "scoffing." The person (or idea) being scoffed at is put on a lower level because they are believed to be, as the Cambridge dictionary puts it, stupid. But perhaps this adjective is not always appropriate.
For instance, many people would credit Hollywood actress Shirley MacLaine very highly (remember The Apartment with Jack Lemmon?). On the other hand, her interest in paranormal phenomena has made many people scoff at her.
She has produced several best-selling books on paranormal experiences, alternate dimensions, and her past lives. The popularity of her books would indicate that not everyone is scoffing. MacLaine claims to have spent time with her dog Terry in ancient Egypt, observed UFOs in Peru, and made contact with aliens in China, Russia and Egypt.
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SYNONYMS
belittle, deride, dig at, disbelieve, discount, discredit, disdain, flout, gibe, jeer, knock, laugh at, make light of, mock, pan, poke fun at, pooh-pooh, rag, reject, revile, ride, ridicule, scorn, show contempt, sneer, tease
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"Some people scoffed when I suggested this new marketing strategy, but no one is laughing now that we are the market leader."
verb
- to laugh and speak about a person or idea in a way, which shows that you think they are stupid or ridiculous
- to eat something quickly and eagerly
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
WORD ORIGIN
Scoff probably stems from a from a Scandinavian source such as the Old Norse "skaup or skop," meaning mockery, or from the Middle Danish skof, "jest, mockery."
Scoff implies a bit of arrogance on the part of the person who is "scoffing." The person (or idea) being scoffed at is put on a lower level because they are believed to be, as the Cambridge dictionary puts it, stupid. But perhaps this adjective is not always appropriate.
For instance, many people would credit Hollywood actress Shirley MacLaine very highly (remember The Apartment with Jack Lemmon?). On the other hand, her interest in paranormal phenomena has made many people scoff at her.
She has produced several best-selling books on paranormal experiences, alternate dimensions, and her past lives. The popularity of her books would indicate that not everyone is scoffing. MacLaine claims to have spent time with her dog Terry in ancient Egypt, observed UFOs in Peru, and made contact with aliens in China, Russia and Egypt.
---
SYNONYMS
belittle, deride, dig at, disbelieve, discount, discredit, disdain, flout, gibe, jeer, knock, laugh at, make light of, mock, pan, poke fun at, pooh-pooh, rag, reject, revile, ride, ridicule, scorn, show contempt, sneer, tease
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"Some people scoffed when I suggested this new marketing strategy, but no one is laughing now that we are the market leader."
