Adjacent Words

sarcasm definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"-- Jonathan Swift [syn: sarcasm, irony, satire, caustic remark]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: French or Late Latin; French sarcasme, from Late Latin sarcasmos, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer, from sark-, sarx flesh; probably akin to Avestan thwar?s- to cut Date: 1550 1. a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain <tired of continual sarcasms> 2. a. a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b. the use or language of sarcasm <this is no time to indulge in sarcasm> Synonyms: see wit

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a bitter or wounding remark. 2 a taunt, esp. one ironically worded. 3 language consisting of such remarks. 4 the faculty of using this. Derivatives: sarcastic adj. sarcastically adv. Etymology: F sarcasme or f. LL sarcasmus f. late Gk sarkasmos f. Gk sarkazo tear flesh, in late Gk gnash the teeth, speak bitterly f. sarx sarkos flesh

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sarcasm Sar"casm, n. [F. sarcasme, L. sarcasmus, Gr. sarkasmo`s, from sarka`zein to tear flesh like dogs, to bite the lips in rage, to speak bitterly, to sneer, fr. sa`rx, sa`rkos, flesh.] A keen, reproachful expression; a satirical remark uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt; a taunt; a gibe; a cutting jest. The sarcasms of those critics who imagine our art to be a matter of inspiration. --Sir J. Reynolds. Syn: Satire; irony; ridicule; taunt; gibe.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Sarcasm is speech or writing which actually means the opposite of what it seems to say. Sarcasm is usually intended to mock or insult someone. 'What a pity,' Graham said with a hint of sarcasm...

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Taunt, gibe, jeer, fling, satire, irony, ridicule, cutting jest, sneer, flout.

Moby Thesaurus

Atticism, acerbity, acridity, acridness, acrimony, agile wit, asperity, bitterness, black humor, burlesque, caricature, causticity, comedy, contumely, corrosiveness, cynicism, derision, disdain, dry wit, esprit, farce, gibe, harshness, humor, innuendo, invective, irony, jest, lampoon, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, mockery, nimble wit, parody, pleasantry, poison, poisonousness, pretty wit, quick wit, raillery, rancor, ready wit, repartee, ridicule, salt, satire, satiric wit, savor of wit, scorn, sharpness, slapstick, slapstick humor, sneering, spite, spitefulness, squib, subtle wit, travesty, venom, venomousness, virulence, visual humor, wit