あざ笑う

• Reading: あざわらう
• Romaji: azawarau
• Kanji breakdown: 笑 (shō/wara) — laugh, smile
• Pronunciation: /a.za.wa.ɾa.ɯ/

Meaning

To laugh at; to ridicule; to mock. Laughing scornfully at someone or their efforts.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb combining あざ (scorn) with 笑う (to laugh). Conveys contemptuous or mocking laughter directed at someone. More hostile than からかう, it implies derision and looking down on someone. Often written with hiragana for the first part.

Examples

1. 失敗した人をあざ笑うのは卑怯だ。 It's cowardly to mock someone who has failed.
2. 彼の提案はあざ笑われたが、結局正しかった。 His proposal was ridiculed, but it turned out to be right.
3. 弱い者をあざ笑ってはいけない。 You shouldn't mock those who are weaker.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, arguments, social situations

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Combination of the prefix あざ (from 嘲, meaning to mock or scorn) and 笑う (to laugh). The full kanji form 嘲笑う exists but the mixed writing あざ笑う is standard in modern Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal