sarcasm

[ sahr-kaz-uhm ]
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noun
  1. harsh, cutting, or bitter derision, often using irony to point out the deficiencies or failings of someone or something:He resorts to sarcasm when he senses he’s losing an argument.

  2. a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark: a review full of sarcasms.

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Origin of sarcasm

1
First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin sarcasmus, from Greek sarkasmós, derivative of sarkázein “to rend (flesh), sneer”; see sarco-

synonym study For sarcasm

1. See irony1.

Other words for sarcasm

Other words from sarcasm

  • su·per·sar·casm, noun

Words Nearby sarcasm

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How to use sarcasm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sarcasm

sarcasm

/ (ˈsɑːkæzəm) /


noun
  1. mocking, contemptuous, or ironic language intended to convey scorn or insult

  2. the use or tone of such language

Origin of sarcasm

1
C16: from Late Latin sarcasmus, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein to rend the flesh, from sarx flesh

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for sarcasm

sarcasm

A form of irony in which apparent praise conceals another, scornful meaning. For example, a sarcastic remark directed at a person who consistently arrives fifteen minutes late for appointments might be, “Oh, you've arrived exactly on time!”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.