sardonic

  • 1Sardonic — 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,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2sardonic — 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

  • 3sardonic — 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

  • 4sardonic — [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

  • 5Sardonic — Sar*don ic, a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a kind of linen made at Colchis. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 6sardonic — index bitter (reproachful), cynical, disdainful, ironic Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 7sardonic — ironic, satiric, *sarcastic Analogous words: *bitter, acrid: deriding or derisive, mocking, taunting, ridiculing (see corresponding verbs at RIDICULE): *sinister, malign …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 8sardonic — [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

  • 9sardonic — ► 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

  • 10Sardonic —    , 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