Sardonic

Sardonic
Sardonic Sar*don"ic, a. [F. sardonique, L. sardonius, Gr. ?, ?, perhaps fr. ? to grin like a dog, or from a certain plant of Sardinia, Gr. ?, which was said to screw up the face of the eater.] Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive, mocking, malignant, or bitterly sarcastic; -- applied only to a laugh, smile, or some facial semblance of gayety. [1913 Webster]

Where strained, sardonic smiles are glozing still, And grief is forced to laugh against her will. --Sir H. Wotton. [1913 Webster]

The scornful, ferocious, sardonic grin of a bloody ruffian. --Burke. [1913 Webster]

{Sardonic grin} or {Sardonic laugh}, an old medical term for a spasmodic affection of the muscles of the face, giving it an appearance of laughter. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • sardonic — SARDÓNIC, Ă, sardonici, ce, adj. (livr.; despre râs, zâmbet etc.; adesea adverbial) Care exprimă batjocură necruţătoare sau satisfacţie diabolică. – Din fr. sardonique, lat. sardonicus [risus]. Trimis de RACAI, 07.12.2003. Sursa: DEX 98 … …   Dicționar Român

  • 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 …   Etymology dictionary

  • sardonic — [sär dän′ik] adj. [Fr sardonique < L sardonius < Gr sardonios, altered after Sardō, SARDINIA] disdainfully or bitterly sneering, ironic, or sarcastic [a sardonic smile] SYN. SARCASTIC sardonically adv. sardonicism [sär dän′ə siz΄əm] n …   English World dictionary

  • Sardonic — Sar*don ic, a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a kind of linen made at Colchis. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sardonic — index bitter (reproachful), cynical, disdainful, ironic Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • sardonic — ironic, satiric, *sarcastic Analogous words: *bitter, acrid: deriding or derisive, mocking, taunting, ridiculing (see corresponding verbs at RIDICULE): *sinister, malign …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • sardonic — [adj] sarcastic acerbic, arrogant, biting, bitter, carping, caustic, cynical, derisive, disrespectful, evil, irascible, mean, mocking, mordant, nasty, offensive, salty*, satirical, scorching, scornful, sharp, smart alecky*, sneering, taunting,… …   New thesaurus

  • sardonic — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ grimly mocking or cynical. DERIVATIVES sardonically adverb sardonicism noun. ORIGIN French sardonique, from Greek sardonios of Sardinia , alteration of sardanios, used by Homer to describe bitter or scornful laughter …   English terms dictionary

  • Sardonic —    , SAR DONIC LAUGHTER    A poisonous plant called Herba Sardonia gave the English language the word sardonic and gave the Italian island of Sardinia its name. The island in turn gave English the word sardine, the name for a small fish of the… …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • sardonic — [[t]sɑː(r)dɒ̱nɪk[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n If you describe someone as sardonic, you mean their attitude to people or things is humorous but rather critical. He was a big, sardonic man, who intimidated even the most self confident students. ...a… …   English dictionary

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