Synonym Chooser

How is the word sardonic different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sardonic are ironic, sarcastic, and satiric. While all these words mean "marked by bitterness and a power or will to cut or sting," sardonic implies scorn, mockery, or derision that is manifested by either verbal or facial expression.

surveyed the scene with a sardonic smile

When is ironic a more appropriate choice than sardonic?

The words ironic and sardonic can be used in similar contexts, but ironic implies an attempt to be amusing or provocative by saying usually the opposite of what is meant.

made the ironic observation that the government could always be trusted

Where would sarcastic be a reasonable alternative to sardonic?

The synonyms sarcastic and sardonic are sometimes interchangeable, but sarcastic implies an intentional inflicting of pain by deriding, taunting, or ridiculing.

a critic known for his sarcastic remarks

When might satiric be a better fit than sardonic?

Although the words satiric and sardonic have much in common, satiric implies that the intent of the ridiculing is censure and reprobation.

a satiric look at contemporary society

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sardonic The television version faces the formidable challenge of how to represent Murderbot’s darkly comic interior monologue in a third-person format, and its success is in large part a function of Skarsgård’s face, which can pull off a range of sardonic micro-expressions. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 13 June 2025 And yet it’s still filled with sardonic commentary all the same, including this doozy: Despite their size, muscle bros at the gym are really just a bunch of babies. Nina Metz Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 8 May 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Anderson has been accused of many things: putting style before substance, being too sardonic as to lack emotionality, leaning too hard into nostalgia, becoming too fastidious for his own good. Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025 Some stellar comedians are pacing local stages this week, including seasoned sardonic comics Brian Regan, Jim Norton, Todd Barry and Paul F. Tompkins. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sardonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sardonic
Adjective
  • Teaming up with Rebels like the enigmatic Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the sarcastic droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), Jyn’s quest for salvation and redemption runs right up to the beginning of the original film, Star Wars: A New Hope.
    Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 26 June 2025
  • Mamdani joined her for a sarcastic infomercial on her account, criticizing Mayor Adams’ record.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The poem is part love quest, part account of Italy’s battles; in places profoundly serious, in places satiric.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 11 June 2025
  • Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The center was built in eight days and features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet of barbed wire and 400 security personnel.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
  • Their prescription, Scaramucci warns, threatens to replace the American dream with a society where a small elite lives behind barbed wire in mansions, and ordinary people struggle for a decent living.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sardonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sardonic. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sardonic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!