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🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

sardonisch

Pronunciation / Transliteration: zaʁˈdoːnɪʃ

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Sardonic/sɑːrˈdɒn.ɪk/
adjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14200 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Sie antwortete mit einem sardonischen Lächeln."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking, cynical, and sneering.

    "He gave a sardonic smile as the incompetent manager tried to explain the project failure."
  2. 2

    Disdainfully or skeptically humorous.

    "Her sardonic wit made her both feared and admired in the newsroom."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the ancient Greek word 'sardinios', referring to a bitter aquatic plant from Sardinia said to cause facial convulsions resembling a grin when ingested. The term entered French as 'sardonique' and then English in the late 16th century, shifting from describing physical grimaces to characterizing bitter, mocking, or cynical humor.

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