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sar·don·ic

(sär-dŏnĭk)

adj.

1. Scornfully or cynically mocking: a sardonic sense of humor.

2. Given to making sardonic remarks: "He was proud, sardonic, harsh to inferiority of every description" (Charlotte Brontë).

[French sardonique, from Greek sardonios, alteration of sardanios; perhaps akin to sesērenai, to show the teeth, grin mockingly.]

sar·doni·cal·ly adv.

sar·doni·cism (-ĭ-sĭz′əm) n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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