sardonic

adj.
Scornfully or cynically mocking. See synonyms at sarcastic.

[French sardonique, from Greek sardonios, alteration of sardanios.]

sardonically sar·don'i·cal·ly adv.
sardonicism sar·don'i·cism (-ĭ-sĭz'əm) n.

(sahr-DON-ik)

adjective
Marked by scorn, mockery, and cynicism.

Etymology
After Sardinia, a large island in the Mediterranean. Eating a Sardinian plant was believed to produce facial convulsions as if in a maniacal laughter

Usage
"In no time the plot becomes less and less tangible as Merde Happens evolves into one long, sardonic diatribe by a Brit about the (exaggerated) strangeness of America -- when his French girlfriend isn't snarking about it." — Alan Wong; Sardonic Mirth; The Star (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); May 9, 2008.

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What, conservatives can't be funny? A Slate roundup of front-page news talks about what John G. Roberts (likely the next Supreme Court justice) had been like when he was a law clerk for (now Chief) Justice William H. Rehnquist, and refers to:

"Roberts' memos from those days, which show off a surprisingly sardonic sense of humor."

Link: Maybe They Were Just a Little Spaced Out

Posted August 1, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adjective

Marked by or displaying contemptuous mockery of the motives or virtues of others: cynic, cynical, ironic, ironical, wry. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude, respect/contempt/standing.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - sardonisk, spotsk

Nederlands (Dutch)
sardonisch

Français (French)
adj. - sardonique, acerbe

Deutsch (German)
adj. - sardonisch, höhnisch

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - σαρδόνιος

Italiano (Italian)
sardonico

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - sârdonico

Русский (Russian)
злобный, сардонический

Español (Spanish)
adj. - sardónico

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - sardonisk, bitter, hånfull

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
嘲笑的, 讥讽的, 冷笑的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 嘲笑的, 譏諷的, 冷笑的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 조소적인, 비웃는, 빈정대는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 冷笑的な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) ساخر, تهكمي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮לגלגני, ציני, בז‬

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