sarcasm
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Late Latin sarcasmus, from Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós, “a sneer”), from σαρκάζω (sarkázō, “I gnash the teeth (in anger)”, literally “I strip off the flesh”), from σάρξ (sárx, “flesh”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsɑːɹˌkæzəm/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsɑːˌkæzəm/
Audio (US) (file)
Noun[edit]
sarcasm (countable and uncountable, plural sarcasms)
- (uncountable) Use of acerbic language to mock or convey contempt, often using irony and (in speech) often marked by overemphasis and a sneering tone of voice.
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., OCLC 222716698:
- Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited.
- (countable) An act of sarcasm.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Usage notes[edit]
Because sarcasm and irony often go together, people often use sarcasm to refer to irony. Strictly speaking, an ironic statement is one that means the opposite of its content, and a sarcastic statement is an acerbic or sardonic one. To distinguish the two, saying "Oh my gosh, I hate you!" to sincerely congratulate one's best friend on their good fortune is ironic, but not sarcastic; saying, "I'm not a mind reader, okay?" is sarcastic, but not ironic.
Translations[edit]
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See also[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “sarcasm” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- “sarcasm” in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- sarcasm at OneLook Dictionary Search.
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From French sarcasme, from Latin sarcasmus.
Noun[edit]
sarcasm n (plural sarcasme)
Declension[edit]
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) sarcasm | sarcasmul | (niște) sarcasme | sarcasmele |
genitive/dative | (unui) sarcasm | sarcasmului | (unor) sarcasme | sarcasmelor |
vocative | sarcasmule | sarcasmelor |
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *twerḱ-
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- en:Comedy
- en:Rhetoric
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian terms derived from Latin
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian nouns
- Romanian countable nouns
- Romanian neuter nouns