sarcastic
adjectiveattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//sɑːˈkæs.tɪk//
- United States//sɑɹˈkæs.tɪk//
Containing sarcasm.
adjective
- 1
Containing sarcasm.
a sarcastic quip
the teacher's sarcastic tone
The unhappy Jew eyed their countenances and that of Front-de-Bœuf, in hope of discovering some symptoms of relenting; but that of the Baron exhibited the same cold, half-sullen, half-sarcastic smile which had been the prelude to his cruelty; […]
The sarcastic bitterness of his conversation disgusted those who were more inclined to accuse his licentiousness than their own degeneracy, and who were unable to conceive the strength of those emotions which are concealed by the jests of the wretched, and by the follies of the wise.
- 2
Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm.
Her eyes slanted a little... and were sometimes full of fiery determination and sometimes dull and opaque. Her expression was never altogether amiable; was often, indeed, distinctly sullen, or, when she was animated, sarcastic.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *twerḱ- Proto-Indo-European *turḱ-sder. Proto-Hellenic *súrks /*swə́rks Ancient Greek σᾰ́ρξ (sắrx) Ancient Greek -ᾰ́ζω (-ắzō) Ancient Greek σᾰρκᾰ́ζω (sărkắzō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós)der. Late Latin sarcasmus English sarcasm Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -αστής (-astḗs)der. Latin -astabor. English -ast Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English -astic ▲ Late Latin sarcasmusbor. French sarcasme French sarcastiqueder. English sarcastic Either from sarcasm + -astic or from French sarcastique, from French sarcasme, from Late Latin sarcasmus, ultimately from Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós, “sarcasm”), itself from Ancient Greek σάρξ (sárx, literally “meat, flesh”).
Forms
- comparative
- more sarcastic
- superlative
- most sarcastic