sardonic

WOTD - 24 April 2007    

English

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• (Australia) IPA: /saːˈdɔnɪk/
• (RP) IPA: /sɑːˈdɒnɪk/
• (US) IPA: /sɑɹˈdɑːnɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒnɪk

Adjective

sardonic (comparative more sardonic, superlative most sardonic)

1. Scornfully mocking or cynical.

   He distances himself from people with his nasty, sardonic laughter.

2. Disdainfully or ironically humorous.

Related terms

• sardonian

Translations

scornfully mocking

Finnish: häijy (fi), ivallinen (fi) French: sardonique (fr) German: hämisch (de), mokant (de) Greek: σαρδόνιος (el) (sardónios) Italian: sardonico (it) Norwegian: bitter (no) Persian: زهرخنده (fa) (zahrxande)

Portuguese: sarcástico, motejante Russian: сардонический (ru) Slovene: sardóničen (sl) Spanish: sardónico (es) m. Swedish: bitter (sv) Turkish: hakaret dolu (tr), horlayıcı (tr), küçümseyen (tr), küçümseyici (tr), acı (tr)

ironically humorous

French: sardonique (fr) German: bitter (de), sarkastisch (de), sardonisch (de) Italian: sardonico (it) Portuguese: ridículo, escarnificante, patético

Slovene: sardóničen (sl) Swedish: ondskefull (sv) Turkish: alaylı (tr)