jeerer

jeerer — noun

1. A person who says unkind or insulting things to someone, especially in a loud or

1.nounC1
Definition

A person who says unkind or insulting things to someone, especially in a loud or public way, in order to make them look foolish or feel humiliated.

Example

Jeerers at the back of the hall made it hard for the speaker to continue.

plural with location phrase: 'at the back of'

Naoko ignored the jeerers on the bus who laughed at her school uniform.

Common collocations
  • crowd of jeerers
  • ignore the jeerers
  • jeerers in the audience
  • loud jeerers
Synonyms
  • mocker

    more general — can describe any kind of ridicule, not necessarily public or loud

  • scoffer

    often implies disbelief or contempt alongside the mockery

  • taunter

    suggests repeated, provocative remarks aimed at getting a reaction

  • derider

    more formal; suggests scornful dismissal rather than loud insult

Antonyms
  • supporter

    someone who encourages rather than insults

  • cheerer

    someone who shouts encouragement or applause

Grammar Patterns

the + jeerers

crowd / group of jeerers

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the plural (jeerers) to describe a group rather than a single person. Often followed by a location phrase specifying where the jeering happens, such as 'in the crowd', 'at the back', or 'from the stands'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone who makes unkind or critical remarks, but they differ in tone and context. Jeerer is the most concrete and specific — it suggests loud, public mockery aimed at humiliating someone in a particular moment, like a sports fan shouting from the stands. Mocker is the broadest term and can cover any form of ridicule whether verbal or through imitation. Scoffer adds an element of disbelief or contempt, as in someone who dismisses an idea with a sneer. Taunter implies repeated, targeted provocations designed to anger or embarrass a specific person. Derider is the most formal and often implies a cold, intellectual scorn rather than an emotional outburst. For example, "The crowd of jeerers drowned out the speaker" feels more vivid than "The mockers in the crowd made noise" — the first places you in the scene with the sounds and emotions.

mocker ↗scoffer ↗taunter ↗derider ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • ignore the jeerers
  • face a crowd of jeerers

Prepositions

  • among the jeerers

Etymology

Dutch (probable)English

The word 'jeerer' is formed from the verb 'jeer' (meaning to mock or taunt) plus the agent suffix '-er', which turns an action into the person who does it. The origin of 'jeer' itself is uncertain — it first appeared in English in the late 1500s, possibly from Dutch 'scheren' (to jest or mock) or from an earlier form of 'cheer' that developed a sarcastic sense. The '-er' suffix has been used in English since Old English times to form agent nouns.