“His whole attitude suggested mockery and malignity.”

-The People of the Black Circle

Mockery is a term known to us all, but used by Howard in excess of any other writer. He even titled a poem “Moon Mockery.” The sense that life, fate and even the gods grinned down with uncaring sarcasm and that a hero should glare back mirthfully in the face of the world’s determination to rip him soul-from-body, infuses much of Howard’s work. But only Conan, his apex creation, the perfect hero, laughs at the deities and devils that own his creation and destination with appropriate “mirth,” declaring with his every breath that, despite Fate, he owns his actions between those points in Time of his conception descension.

1. mock•er•y

[ˈmäk(ə)rē]

NOUN

1. teasing and contemptuous language or behavior directed at a particular person or thing:

synonyms: ridicule • derision • jeering • sneering • contempt • scorn •

scoffing • teasing • taunting • sarcasm

 an absurd misrepresentation or imitation of something:

synonyms: travesty • charade • farce • parody

 archaic

ludicrously futile action:

ORIGIN

late Middle English: from Old French moquerie, from mocquer ‘to deride.’

RELATED FORMS

mockery (noun)

mockeries (plural noun)

1. malignity1

[məˈliɡnədē]

DEFINITION

1. noun form of malign

ma•lign2

[məˈlīn]

ADJECTIVE

2. evil in nature or effect; malevolent:

synonyms: harmful • evil • bad • baleful • hostile • inimical •

destructive • malignant • injurious • malefic • maleficent

antonyms: beneficial

 archaic

(of a disease) malignant.

VERB

3. speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner:

synonyms: defame • slander • libel •

blacken someone's name/character • smear • vilify • speak ill of • cast aspersions on • run down • traduce • denigrate • disparage • slur • abuse • revile • badmouth • dis • knock • talk smack • derogate • calumniate

antonyms: praise

ORIGIN

Middle English: via Old French maligne (adjective), malignier (verb), based on Latin malignus ‘evil tendency,’ from malus ‘bad.’

RELATED FORMS

malign (adjective)

malign (verb)

maligns (third person present)

maligned (past tense)

maligned (past participle)

maligning (present participle)