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

• acerb
• acerbic
• acid
• acidic
• acidulous
• acrid
• barbed
• biting
• caustic
• corrosive
• cutting
• mordant
• pungent
• sarcastic
• satiric
• satirical
• scalding
• scathing
• sharp
• smart-aleck
• smart-alecky
• smart-mouthed
• snarky
• tart

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

Here, claustrophobic proximity spawns sardonic hilarity. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Together, these two dramas confirm Anderson’s shift from humanism to sardonic harshness. —Armond White, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024

With its sardonic eye, Z remains relevant thanks to its unspecific setting and to a global resurgence of anti-democratic sentiment. —Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024

Their repertoire soon included a recurring role on the Hulu comedy Difficult People, playing struggling gay actor Matthew alongside comedians Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner, and a part on Amazon’s Mozart In The Jungle as a sardonic roommate named Shawn. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024

Co-creators, Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane explore the character’s romance with sardonic dialogue and dark comedy to keep us on edge. —Malik Peay, Essence, 2 Feb. 2024

The opening was tight, concise, and genuinely funny, bursting with Mulaney's sardonic wit and a genuine love for the movies. —EW.com, 11 Jan. 2024

The door staff was sometimes unkind, making sardonic comments about our clothes, hair, and makeup, and we were warned to avoid certain clubs that were notoriously racist and might make a scene at the door. —Celine Saintclare, Vogue, 4 Jan. 2024

The fact that the newcomer gets to bounce off Aubrey Plaza, in peerless sardonic form as Elliott’s advice-dispensing future self, just sweetens the deal. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2024

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

Kids Definition

sardonic

adjective

sar·​don·​ic sär-ˈdän-ik 

: scornful, mocking

sardonically

-ˈdän-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb