sardonic

adjective

sar·​don·​ic sär-ˈdä-nik 

: disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking

a sardonic comment

sardonically

sär-ˈdä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• sarcastic
• satirical
• satiric
• barbed

Choose the Right Synonym for sardonic

sarcastic, satiric, ironic, sardonic mean marked by bitterness and a power or will to cut or sting.

sarcastic implies an intentional inflicting of pain by deriding, taunting, or ridiculing.

a critic known for his sarcastic remarks

satiric implies that the intent of the ridiculing is censure and reprobation.

a satiric look at contemporary society

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

sardonic implies scorn, mockery, or derision that is manifested by either verbal or facial expression.

surveyed the scene with a sardonic smile

Examples of sardonic in a Sentence

"The Great War," used interchangeably with "the First World War" (so named in 1918 by a sardonic English journalist, who knew it would not be the last such conflict) … —Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic, May 1999

They have that brand of sardonic humor special to people up against it: black and wry and shocking … —Doris Lessing, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 1987

In a story by Flaubert, this spreading of cloths to save the carpet would be observed with a sardonic eye; in Lawrence it is bleakly practical. —Hugh Kenner, A Sinking Island, 1987

The movie is a sardonic look at modern life.

a sardonic little jab that made her visitor quiet and subdued for the rest of the night

Recent Examples on the Web

In Moderation, Elaine Castillo’s sardonic new novel, Girlie Delmundo, the daughter of Filipino immigrants, works as a content moderator at a major tech company. —Sarah Rose Etter, The Atlantic, 6 Aug. 2025

There’s a warmth here, a generosity of spirit often absent from their more sardonic works. —Arkansas Online, 17 July 2025

Vera, the buzzy, brilliant and preternaturally observant ten-year-old central to Gary Shteyngart’s sardonic and profoundly relevant new novel, brings a fresh, necessary perspective to our evolving dystopian universe. —Jane Ciabattari july 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025

Healy is known for his sardonic comments on stage by his fans, so this came as no surprise to them. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 1 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

re-formation, with the suffix -ic entry 1, of earlier sardonian, from Greek sardónios, alteration (after Sardónios "Sardinian") of earlier sardánios "(of laughter or smiling) bitter, scornful" (of obscure origin) + -an entry 2

First Known Use

1638, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sardonic

• atonic
• benthonic
• bionic
• bosonic
• bubonic
• canonic
• carbonic
• cyclonic
• demonic
• dystonic
• hadronic
• harmonic

Kids Definition

sardonic

adjective

sar·​don·​ic sär-ˈdän-ik 

: scornful, mocking

sardonically

-ˈdän-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb