sardonic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- sardonically adverb
- sardonicism noun
- unsardonic adjective
Etymology
Origin of sardonic
First recorded in 1630–40; alteration of earlier sardonian (influenced by French sardonique, ) from Latin sardoni(us) or directly from Greek sardónios “of Sardinia” + -an; alluding to a Sardinian plant which when eaten was supposed to produce convulsive laughter ending in death
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The author depicts all this vividly and with sardonic wit, but with little fuss or outrage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Ms. Ziegler’s sardonic humor flickers or flares in virtually every scene.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
Conspicuous lip color can, after all, signify a million things — from class status to sardonic camp.
From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026
He said Crook's latest series is "quite incisive, it's not dreamy, he writes very funny lines, very tart and quite sardonic in their way".
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
There was the sardonic look on his face his family knew so well—the joke on himself that made him laugh inwardly.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
