|
|
Definition of Sardonic
1. Adjective. Disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking. "A wry pleasure to be...reminded of all that one is missing"
Definition of Sardonic
1. a. Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive, mocking, malignant, or bitterly sarcastic; -- applied only to a laugh, smile, or some facial semblance of gayety.
2. a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a kind of linen made at Colchis.
Definition of Sardonic
1. Adjective. Scornfully mocking or cynical. ¹
2. Adjective. Disdainfully or ironically humorous. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Sardonic
1. mocking [adj]
Medical Definition of Sardonic
1. Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive, mocking, malignant, or bitterly sarcastic; applied only to a laugh, smile, or some facial semblance of gayety. "Where strained, sardonic smiles are glozing still, And grief is forced to laugh against her will." (Sir H. Wotton) "The scornful, ferocious, sardonic grin of a bloody ruffian." (Burke) Sardonic grin or laugh, an old medical term for a spasmodic affection of the muscles of the face, giving it an appearance of laughter. Origin: F. Sardonique, L. Sardonius, Gr, perhaps fr. To grin like a dog, or from a certain plant of Sardinia, Gr, which was said to screw up the face of the eater. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Sardonic
Literary usage of Sardonic
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. The Brontë Family: With Special Reference to Patrick Branwell Brontë by Francis A. Leyland (1886)
"Bran well's sardonic Humour—Mr. Grundy's Visit to him at ... and now a grim and
sardonic humour began to characterize his proceedings and his correspondence ..."
2. The Brontë Family: With Special Reference to Patrick Branwell Brontë by Francis A. Leyland (1886)
"... sardonic Humour—Mr. Grundy's Visit to him at Haworth—Errors regarding the
Period of it— Tragic Description—Probable Ruse of Branwell— Correspondence ..."
3. Sidelights on American Literature by Fred Lewis Pattee (1922)
"We can imagine his sardonic chuckle when the "abysmal brute" broke loose in
Belgium and his squeamish countrymen shuddered in such ghastly horror. ..."
4. The British Quarterly Review by Robert Vaughan, Henry Allon (1869)
"Early in life he was trained up in poverty, when he acquired that bitter and
sardonic play of spirit, which, in after-days, when the sun was at the meridian ..."
5. The Sailor King: William the Fourth, His Court and His Subjects by Joseph Fitzgerald Molloy (1903)
"... and his Famous Breakfasts—His Singular Appearance and sardonic Wit—Fanny Kemble
and her Views of the Stage —Plays Juliet at Covent Garden Theatre—Result ..."
6. The Sailor King: William the Fourth, His Court and His Subjects by Joseph Fitzgerald Molloy (1903)
"... CHAPTER VIII Literary Celebrities—Samuel Rogers and his Famous Breakfasts—His
Singular Appearance and sardonic Wit—Fanny Kemble and her Views of the ..."
Other Resources:
