sarcasm

(sär'kăz'əm)
n.

1. A cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound.
2. A form of wit that is marked by the use of sarcastic language and is intended to make its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule.
3. The use of sarcasm. See synonyms at wit¹.

[Late Latin sarcasmus, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein, to bite the lips in rage, from sarx, sark-, flesh.]

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noun

Irony or bitterness, as of tone: acerbity, acidity, acridity, causticity, corrosiveness, mordacity, mordancy, trenchancy. See laughter, respect/contempt/standing.

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!”

IN BRIEF: Sharp, bitter words that make fun of someone or something, ridicule.

Neither irony nor sarcasm is argument. — Samuel Butler (1835-1902), English novelist, essayist and critic.

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Quotes:

"What I claim is to live to the full the contradiction of my time, which may well make sarcasm the condition of truth." - Roland Barthes

"Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous, when you think about it." - Lenny Bruce

"Fools are my theme, let satire be my song." - Lord Byron

"The satirist is prevented by repulsion from gaining a better knowledge of the world he is attracted to, yet he is forced by attraction to concern himself with the world that repels him." - Italo Calvino

"Sarcasm I now see to be, in general, the language of the devil; for which reason I have long since as good as renounced it." - Thomas Carlyle

"What arouses the indignation of the honest satirist is not, unless the man is a prig, the fact that people in positions of power or influence behave idiotically, or even that they behave wickedly. It is that they conspire successfully to impose upon the public a picture of themselves as so very sagacious, honest and well-intentioned." - Claud Cockburn

See more famous quotes about Sarcasm

For a list of words related to sarcasm, see:

• Devices, Techniques, and Elements - sarcasm: caustic, ironic language directed esp. against an individual as a taunt
• Rhetoric and Figures of Speech - sarcasm: caustic, ironical language intended to wound or belittle another
• Blame, Censure, Ridicule, and Contempt - sarcasm: sharply ironical utterance or cutting remark

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See words rhyming with "sarcasm."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Sarcasm.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - sarkasme, spydighed

Nederlands (Dutch)
sarcasme, hatelijkheid, bijtende spot

Français (French)
n. - sarcasme

Deutsch (German)
n. - Sarkasmus, (beißender) Spott, sarkastische Bemerkung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σαρκασμός, σαρκαστική φράση

Italiano (Italian)
sarcasmo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - sarcasmo (m)

Русский (Russian)
сарказм, язвительная насмешка

Español (Spanish)
n. - sarcasmo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - sarkasm, spydighet

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
挖苦, 讽刺

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 挖苦, 諷刺

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 빈정거림, 빈정대는 말, 풍자

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 皮肉, いやみ, 当てこすり

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تهكم, سخريه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮לעג מר, הערות פוגעות ואירוניות, סרקזם‬

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