scoff at

scoff at (someone or something)

To dismiss something with scorn, ridicule, or derision. The CEO scoffed at the backlash, confident that those complaining were nothing but a vocal minority. They scoffed at me when I warned them of the disastrous fault in the system, but now they're seeing just how right I was.
See also: scoff
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

scoff at someone or something

to show ridicule or scorn for someone or something. The directors scoffed at her when she presented her plan. They scoffed at my new hat, not realizing how stylish it was.
See also: scoff
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
He chides those who scoff at her small sacrifices (such as folding the mantles that the other sisters had forgotten) as "spiritual snobs!"
There are, of course, many good Americans who would scoff at this assessment, despite recognizing the danger.
BAT officials scoff at the notion that tobacco is anywhere near as serious as the many other challenges facing Africa.
While some may scoff at their optimistic approach to empowering wayward teens, DeJesus and Dolphin are letting the numbers speak for themselves.
As Fred will probably recall, I was among the first to scoff at both of those models and never participated in either, but we traditional print publishers should not infer too much from their demise.
PEOPLE scoff at having a punt in the Lincoln but it is still in the top 20 betting races of the year, so after scoffing they must nip down the bookies and have a few quid.
Today, with Communism defeated or in retreat nearly everywhere, it is easy to scoff at the rack of dominos.
His jaunty description of preparing lamb shish kebab with mint sauce while camping is just the sort of thing some of his subjects would scoff at. Even so, he seems earnestly interested in their fate.
Wall Street now permeates our industry; it is a force that we need to work with and embrace, not scoff at for misunderstanding our business.
LOVE THE CAR, LA We trust none of his Porsche and Ferrari-driving team-mates will scoff at young Wayne Rooney's new motor.
We can't afford to continue employing people who scoff at the Holy Father, we can't continue to endure in-fighting and dissent within our parish liturgies and programs.
And to those who scoff at asking Mary and the saints to plead our cause rather than appealing to God directly, this same commentator, Marice Boulding, offers the witness of the Old Testament:
And before you scoff at the possibility of an amateur speed freak being lent such a precious machine, it's only fair to point out that Lambo's marketing manager is a close personal friend of Nic's.