sardonic
adjective
sar·don·ic
sär-ˈdä-nik 
: disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking
a sardonic comment
Examples of sardonic in a Sentence
"The Great War," used interchangeably with "the First World War" (so named in 1918 by a sardonic English journalist, who knew it would not be the last such conflict) …
—
Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic, May 1999
They have that brand of sardonic humor special to people up against it: black and wry and shocking …
—Doris Lessing, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 1987
In a story by Flaubert, this spreading of cloths to save the carpet would be observed with a sardonic eye; in Lawrence it is bleakly practical.
—Hugh Kenner, A Sinking Island, 1987
The movie is a sardonic look at modern life.
a sardonic little jab that made her visitor quiet and subdued for the rest of the night
Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic, May 1999
They have that brand of sardonic humor special to people up against it: black and wry and shocking …
—Doris Lessing, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 1987
In a story by Flaubert, this spreading of cloths to save the carpet would be observed with a sardonic eye; in Lawrence it is bleakly practical.
—Hugh Kenner, A Sinking Island, 1987
The movie is a sardonic look at modern life.
a sardonic little jab that made her visitor quiet and subdued for the rest of the night
Recent Examples on the Web
But Sieh is the standout, emitting a complex blend of sardonic acceptance, cynical verbosity and submerged emotional longing.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
The most reliably entertaining are the dryly sardonic Yelena Belova (Pugh) and the excitable, histrionic Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (a showily outsized Harbour).
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Julie is a sardonic, supermarket cashier with sticky fingers and Chloe is a glamorous influencer with millions of adoring fans.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 May 2025
At a time when the world seems increasingly divided into winners and losers, exploiters and suckers, Henry Johnson speaks with sardonic eloquence to our current moment in American life.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sardonic
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Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
The most reliably entertaining are the dryly sardonic Yelena Belova (Pugh) and the excitable, histrionic Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (a showily outsized Harbour).
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Julie is a sardonic, supermarket cashier with sticky fingers and Chloe is a glamorous influencer with millions of adoring fans.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 May 2025
At a time when the world seems increasingly divided into winners and losers, exploiters and suckers, Henry Johnson speaks with sardonic eloquence to our current moment in American life.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sardonic
Cite this Entry
“Sardonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sardonic. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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