Log in or Sign up
sardonic love

sardonic

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Scornfully or cynically mocking.
  • adjective Given to making sardonic remarks.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Apparently but not really proceeding from gaiety; forced: said of a laugh or smile.
  • Bitterly ironical; sarcastic; derisive and malignant; sneering: now the usual meaning.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a kind of linen made at Colchis.
  • adjective Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive, mocking, malignant, or bitterly sarcastic; -- applied only to a laugh, smile, or some facial semblance of gayety.
  • adjective an old medical term for a spasmodic affection of the muscles of the face, giving it an appearance of laughter.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Scornfully mocking or cynical.
  • adjective Disdainfully or ironically humorous.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French sardonique, from Greek sardonios, alteration of sardanios; perhaps akin to sesērenai, to show the teeth, grin mockingly.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French sardonique, from Latin sardonius, from Ancient Greek σαρδόνιος (sardonios), alternative form of σαρδάνιος (sardanios, "bitter or scornful laughter"), which is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant (Ranunculus sardous), known as either σαρδάνη (sardanē) or σαρδόνιον (sardonion). When eaten, it would cause the eater's face to contort in a look resembling scorn (generally followed by death). It might also be related to σαίρω (sairō, "I grin").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word sardonic.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • andrew.simone commented on the word sardonic

    I always think of Waiting for Guffman when I hear this word: "He was in the, the very... the sardonically irreverent..."Dybbyck Shmybbyck, I Said 'More Ham'"

    December 5, 2006

  • davidbenoit commented on the word sardonic

    He whips her lightly, sardonically, with a belt. 'Haven't I been through enough?' she asks, Now dressed and leaving

    Jim Morrison

    October 13, 2007

  • Prolagus commented on the word sardonic

    This is me. (Sardu + NYC)

    May 3, 2008

  • dontcry commented on the word sardonic

    Pro, I get it! Ha!

    May 3, 2008

  • mariecarnes commented on the word sardonic

    "But when President Bush demands Russia go home and leave Georgia alone, his pal Vladimir Putin - the modern Russian czar - gets that sardonic smile on his face." -- Bill Moyers

    September 6, 2008

  • PossibleUnderscore commented on the word sardonic

    Sarcasm:

    Harsh derision or irony: a sharp ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark, usually intended to wound.

    Sardonic:

    Bitter derision, usually ironic: intended to be humorous.

    Difference: Sardonic and Sarcastic

    Sarcasm is more general than sardonicism. It can be humorous (at the cost of others), acidic, dry, or similar. To tell the 'type' of sarcasm, you must know the context.

    Sardonicism implies a negative view of something. It's sarcasm with an ill tone, even if it's used for humour. Someone can use sardonicism but it's obvious that he isn't too comfortable with subject.

    July 13, 2009

  • snapd commented on the word sardonic

    I've had it with your sardony!

    July 23, 2009

  • snapd commented on the word sardonic

    I've had it with your sardony!

    July 23, 2009

  • snapd commented on the word sardonic

    Sorry for any confusion: I am not sure my note was accepted to my suggested word 'sardony'

    There seem to be many words which lack a complete complement of forms. Sardonic is one of them. I cannot say "I am tired of your sardony" in a manner similar to how I can say "I am tired of your anger". Instead I must always attach a noun or verb to the adjective or adverb. Is there a name for these kinds of imperfect or irregular words? As a class, do they derive particularly from any linguistic river that has contributed to English? Should there not be a word 'sardony'?

    July 23, 2009

  • hernesheir commented on the word sardonic

    The Wordnik search/lookup function seems to be down.

    edit: search is working now.

    November 30, 2011

  • qms commented on the word sardonic

    Twixt gentle and cruel lies a chasm
    That's vaulted in quick anger's spasm:
    From lightly ironic
    To harshly sardonic,
    Fond jesting to biting sarcasm.

    November 9, 2015

  • bilby commented on the word sardonic

    There's this delightful little bit tucked away in the etymology notes:
    "When eaten, it would cause the eater's face to contort in a look resembling scorn (generally followed by death)."

    November 9, 2015

  • vendingmachine commented on the word sardonic

    Isn't this what happens when one consumes bilby meat?

    November 9, 2015

  • ry commented on the word sardonic

    that must be one of the top ten etymologies I have ever read.

    November 10, 2015

  • bilby commented on the word sardonic

    It's what happens when you eat any of the garbage that comes out of a vendingmachine.

    November 10, 2015

  • Werdnerd commented on the word sardonic

    Agree w."snapd " about the word, "sardony", it should be a word; just like sarcasm is the state of being sarcastic, so should sardony be the state of being sardonic.

    It also occurred to me to tell someone off and that word came to mind. Haven't found it anywhere else yet, though. Lol bc, "I've had it with your sardony!"

    February 27, 2017