Nearby Words
ɪkadjective
characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering: a sardonic grin.
Origin:
1630–40; alteration of earlier sardonian (influenced by French sardonique) < Latin sardoni(us) (< Greek sardónios of Sardinia) + -an; alluding to a Sardinian plant which when eaten was supposed to produce convulsive laughter ending in death
1630–40; alteration of earlier sardonian (influenced by French sardonique) < Latin sardoni(us) (< Greek sardónios of Sardinia) + -an; alluding to a Sardinian plant which when eaten was supposed to produce convulsive laughter ending in death
Related forms
sar·don·i·cal·ly, adverb
sar·don·i·cism, noun
un·sar·don·ic, adjective
un·sar·don·i·cal·ly, adverb
Synonyms
biting, mordant, contemptuous.
biting, mordant, contemptuous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Sardonic
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
| Main Entry: | sardonic |
| Part of Speech: | adj |
| Definition: | scornful, mocking; disdainfully humorous |
| Etymology: | Greek sardonios 'derisive' |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
sardonic
1630s, from Fr. sardonique (16c.), from L. sardonius (but as if from L. *sardonicus) in Sardonius risus, loan-translation of Gk. sardonios (gelos) "of bitter or scornful (laughter)," altered from Homeric sardanios (of uncertain origin) by influence of Sardonios "Sardinian," because the Greeks believed
EXPANDthat eating a certain plant they called sardonion (lit. "plant from Sardinia," see Sardinia) caused facial convulsions resembling those of sardonic laughter, usually followed by death. For nuances of usage, see humor. Related: Sardonically.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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