Make Your Point: SARDONIC

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pronounce SARDONIC:

sar DON ick

connect this word to others:

Sardonic laughter is dark and joyless, kind of like how a r__t__ smile is fake and frozen. (Can you recall that word?)

You might guess that sardonic and sarcastic are related. Only loosely: they both come from Greek! But sarcastic traces to sarkazein, "to sneer at, to speak bitterly" or more literally, "to strip off the flesh" (yikes!) while sardonic (probably) traces to Sardō, the name of an island. More on that below.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

There's confusion and debate around the etymology of "sardonic." Here's what we think we know. "Sardonic" resembles "Sardinia," the Mediterranean island (and "sardines," the fish thought to originate around it) likely because the ancient Greeks believed that if you ate a certain plant from Sardinia, you'd go into a fit of bitter, insane laughter and then die.

Pretty dark, right?

So, since the 1600s in English, we've talked about sardonic laughter and sardonic smiles: the kind that are bitter or mocking, with mean or faked humor.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "a sardonic look;" "His look was sardonic."

Other forms:

There's an alternate adjective, "sardonical." I recommend sticking with "sardonic" because it's much more common.

The adverb is "sardonically" and is often used, as in "He looked at us sardonically."

For a noun, you can pick between "sardony" and, my preference, "sardonicism." Both are rare.

how to use it:

"Sardonic" is a formal, semi-common word with a negative tone. When you're trying to sound serious and avoid slang, it's a great substitute for "snarky."

We talk most often about sardonic grins or smiles, which are fake and joyless, and sardonic laughter, which is cruel.

Less often, we talk about sardonic humor, amusement, comments, moods, tones, personalities, and even people.

examples:

"On a tool called Memegen, pop culture images are overlaid with sardonic commentary, often poking fun at recent controversies. 'Do you ever wish you were a corporation or a fetus so Republicans would finally treat you like a human being?' read one meme posted after the 2016 election."
— Kirsten Grind, Wall Street Journal, 1 May 2018

"'Ultimately, of course, there is only one thing to be done if we are to save [Draco] from Lord Voldemort's wrath.'
Snape raised his eyebrows and his tone was sardonic as he asked, 'Are you intending to let him kill you?'"
— J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 2007

has this page helped you understand "sardonic"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "sardonic" without saying "sneering" or "mordant."

try it out:

When you hear a comment that blends humor and at least a little bit of cruelty, you can call it a sardonicism.

Which sardonicism below is your favorite? Could you think of another good one that I haven't listed?

1. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." (Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar)

2. "I have noticed that even people who claim everything is predetermined and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road." (Stephen Hawking)

3. "Lawyer: One skilled in circumvention of the law." (Ambrose Bierce)

4. "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it." (Groucho Marx)

5. "Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." (Mark Twain)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "The LOL Is In the Details."

I'll give you a vague version of a quote from a funny writer or speaker, then prompt you to liven it up with detail. To see the original quote, scroll all the way down.

Here's an example:

"Don't order any of the faerie food… It tends to make humans a little crazy. One minute you’re snacking, the next minute you’re doing something insane."

Snacking on what? Doing what?

You might say, "One minute you’re sampling a mushroom tart, the next minute you’re doing the Macarena."

And the writer's original version was "One minute you're munching on a faerie plum, the next minute you're running naked down Madison Avenue with antlers on your head."
— Cassandra Clare, City of Bones, 2007

Try this one today:

"If I'm at a party where I'm not enjoying myself, I will take some food and leave."

What kind of food? How do you take it? How do you leave?

review this word:

1. A near opposite of SARDONIC is

A. SINCERE.
B. ACCURATE.
C. SPACIOUS.

2. From Lois Lowry's novel Son: "Mentor laughed, but it was a sardonic laugh... _____"

A. [He] looked uneasy... 'You can't yell at an old woman.'
B. The bearded schoolmaster was stooped, and his face was lined. But his eyes were keen and intelligent.
C. 'So I had made a meaningless trade, and I had turned into a person I hated—but a handsome one! And young!'

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
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From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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