sardonic
sahr-DON-ik, adjective
Grimly mocking or cynical.
“Her sardonic toast was the only honest speech of the night.”
Where sardonic comes from
From a Sardinian plant said to make those who ate it grin horribly as they died.
Difficulty: advanced. One of 440 entries written and checked by hand.
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More advanced words
- sycophant A person who flatters the powerful to gain advantage.
- taciturn Habitually quiet and reserved in speech.
- vociferous Expressing opinions loudly and forcefully.
- alacrity Brisk, cheerful readiness or eagerness.
- cacophony A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
- deleterious Causing harm or damage, often in an unexpected way.
- fastidious Extremely attentive to detail and accuracy; hard to please.
- abstruse So difficult to understand as to be obscure.
Nearby: sanguine saturnine All 440 words More word origins
Found in: Negative words to describe a person