sardonic

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“
Minver rose and stretched himself with what I must describe as a sardonic yawn; Halson had stolen away before the end, as one to whom the end was known.

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Definitions (7)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. adjective Scornfully or cynically mocking. See Synonyms at sarcastic.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • Irreverent, sardonic, and deliciously decadent, the Duchess is the antithesis of the Slayer's somber and crusading persona, yet their mutual antagonism is leavened by a grudging respect (and perhaps even an unspoken attraction) between them. —  The Warslayer
  • A mind touched his--sardonic, powerful, evil--and he knew Arioch responded at last!
  • Our mood turned sardonic, and we pondered the odds of two of your family members getting eaten by sharks. —  GaspingforAirtime
  • The resulting lopsided smile--sardonic and amused, eyes almost sparkling--was actually kind of charming, even though it was delivered by a man wearing a long black coat and a sword on his back. —  Storm Watcher Galley
  • Karvonen's expression grew more sardonic, and he gave Daner a sour look. —  THE RAVEN RING
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

wry ·  ironic ·  sarcastic ·  derisive ·  disdainful ·  sly ·  smug ·  supercilious ·  humorous ·  incredulous ·  condescend ·  caustic
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French sardonique, from Greek sardonios, alteration of sardanios.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from French sardonique = Spanish sardónico = Portuguese Italian sardonico, from Middle Latin *sardonicus, sc. risus, sardonic laughter, believed to be so called as resembling the effect produced by a Sardinian plant (Latin Sardonia herba, Sardoa herba, a bitter herb, which was said to distort the face of the eater: L. Sardonia, feminine of Sardonius, from Greek Σαρδόνιος, also Σαρδονικός, of Sardinia, from Σαρδώ, Sardinia), but properly L. *sardanius, sc. risus, from Greek σαρδάνιος, bitter, scornful, used only in the phrase γέλως σαρδάνιος, bitter laughter (γέλωτα σαρδάνιον γελᾶν, or simply σαρδάνιον γελᾶν, laugh a bitter laugh); cf. σαρδάζειν, laugh bitterly, σεσ, σ1ηρώς, grinning, sneering (properly past participle from ✓ σαρ). The word sardonic is prob. often mentally associated with sarcastic
 

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/sɑrˈdɑnɪk/
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