sardonic laughter
1sardonic laughter — scornful laughter, mocking laughter …
2sardonic — 1630s, from Fr. sardonique (16c.), from L. sardonius (but as if from L. *sardonicus) in Sardonius risus, loan translation of Gk. sardonios (gelos) of bitter or scornful (laughter), altered from Homeric sardanios (of uncertain origin) by influence …
3Sardonic — , SAR DONIC LAUGHTER A poisonous plant called Herba Sardonia gave the English language the word sardonic and gave the Italian island of Sardinia its name. The island in turn gave English the word sardine, the name for a small fish of the… …
4sardonic — adjective /saːˈdɔnɪk,sɑːˈdɒnɪk,sɑɻˈdɑːnɪk/ a) Scornfully mocking or cynical. He distances himself from people with his nasty, sardonic laughter. b) Disdainfully or ironically humorous. See Also: sardonian …
5Sardonic — Sar*don ic, a. [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.] Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive, mocking,… …
6Sardonic grin — Sardonic Sar*don ic, a. [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.] Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive,… …
7Sardonic laugh — Sardonic Sar*don ic, a. [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.] Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive,… …
8sardonic — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ grimly mocking or cynical. DERIVATIVES sardonically adverb sardonicism noun. ORIGIN French sardonique, from Greek sardonios of Sardinia , alteration of sardanios, used by Homer to describe bitter or scornful laughter …
9laughter — n. 1) to cause, provoke laughter 2) contagious, infectious; convulsive; derisive; hearty, loud, raucous, uproarious; sardonic; subdued laughter 3) a burst, fit, gale; ripple of laughter 4) (misc.) to double up with laughter * * * [ lɑːftə]… …
10sardonic — sardonically, adv. sardonicism, n. /sahr don ik/, adj. characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering: a sardonic grin. [1630 40; alter. of earlier sardonian (influenced by F sardonique) < L sardoni(us) ( < Gk sardónios… …
