sardonic

English

WOTD – 24 April 2007

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] French sardonique, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin sardonius, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek σαρδόνιος (sardónios), alternative form of σαρδάνιος (sardánios, “bitter or scornful laughter”), which is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant (Ranunculus sardous), known as either σαρδάνη (sardánē) or σαρδόνιον (sardónion). 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 (saírō, “I grin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saːˈdɔnɪk/
• IPA^(key): /sɑːˈdɒnɪk/
• IPA^(key): /sɑɹˈdɑːnɪk/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (AU):

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• 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.

   • (Can we date this quote by Sir H. Wotton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     strained, sardonic smiles

   • (Can we date this quote by Burke and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     the scornful, ferocious, sardonic grin of a bloody ruffian

2. Disdainfully or ironically humorous.
   • 1979, Carl Deroux, editor, Studies in Latin Literature and Roman History [Collection Latomus; 164], volume 1, Brussels: Latomus, →OCLC, page 111:

     Another manifestation, significantly reaching its apogee in the midst of Antonine virtues, was the growing popularity of adoxographical exercises. Mock panegyrics were dashed off, not just by sardonic intellectuals such as Lucian, but also by trained courtiers and polished encomiasts of the stamp of [Marcus Cornelius] Fronto.

Related terms

• Sardonian
• sarcastic

Translations

scornfully mocking

• Catalan: sardònic
• Dutch: sardonisch (nl)
• Finnish: häijy (fi), ivallinen (fi)
• French: sardonique (fr)
• German: hämisch (de), mokant (de)
• Greek: σαρδόνιος (el) (sardónios)
• Italian: sardonico (it), sarcastico (it), sprezzante (it)
• Norwegian: bitter (no)

  Bokmål: sardonisk

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Persian: زهرخنده (fa) (zahrxande)
• Polish: sardoniczny (pl)
• Portuguese: sardónico (pt) (Portugal), sardônico (pt) (Brazil)
• Russian: сардони́ческий (ru) (sardoníčeskij)
• Slovene: sardóničen
• Spanish: sardónico m
• Swedish: bitter (sv), sardonisk (sv)
• Turkish: hakaret dolu, horlayıcı, küçümseyen, küçümseyici (tr), acı (tr)

ironically humorous

• French: sardonique (fr)
• German: bitter (de), sarkastisch (de), sardonisch (de)
• Italian: sardonico (it)
• Polish: sardoniczny (pl)
• Portuguese: sardónico (pt) (Portugal), sardônico (pt) (Brazil)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Slovene: sardóničen
• Spanish: sardónico
• Swedish: ondskefull (sv)
• Turkish: alaylı (tr)

Anagrams

• Scardino