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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage

What does sardonic mean?

Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means. How is it distinct from ironic? Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated.
cheers
dd
  

Top answer

[nq:1]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means. How is it distinct from ironic? Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction.

  • [nq:1]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means.
  • How is it distinct from ironic?
  • Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction.
  • [/nq] "Sardonic" often describes the speaker, the speaker's mood, and especially the facial expression.
  • You can look sardonic but I don't think you can look ironic, not exactly.
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18 Answers
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[nq:1]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means. How is it distinct from ironic? Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated.[/nq]
"Sardonic" often describes the speaker, the speaker's mood, and especially the facial expression. You can look sardonic but I don't think you can look ironic,
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[nq:1]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means. How is it distinct from ironic? Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated.[/nq]
Ironic is funny most of the times. Sarcastic may be funny sometimes, provided if you are not the target of sarcasm. Sardonic may only sound funny but it's nev
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[nq:2]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head ... a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated.[/nq]
[nq:1]"Sardonic" often describes the speaker, the speaker's mood, and especially the facial expression. You can look sardonic but I don't ... sardonic remark." People around here can't even agree about the more ordinary words "ironic" and "sarcastic" pon
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[nq:1]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means. How is it distinct from ironic? Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated.[/nq]
An ironic comment states the opposite of what is intended: e.g. "Very amusing! How very clever!" in reference to a foolish or tasteless attempt at a joke.
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Thus spake Arcadian Rises:
[nq:2]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head ... a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated.[/nq]
[nq:1]Ironic is funny most of the times.[/nq]
Tell that to Oedipus! To Faust! To Des Jungen Werther!

You get the idea. Irony is an umbrella-term that encompasses both of the below, and a whole host of other iro
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[nq:1]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means. How is it distinct from ironic? Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated. cheers dd[/nq]
I have a Generation X comic book (the first one, I believe). It came out when I was like 13 or 14, and was featured online for free for quite some t
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[nq:2]"Sardonic" often describes the speaker, the speaker's mood, and especially ... more ordinary words "ironic" and "sarcastic" pondal differences, apparently.[/nq]
[nq:1]'sardonic' has an element of cruelty or mocking.[/nq]
Not always. "Sardonic laughter" may be in response to "fate" or some other impersonal agent. It suggests bitterness or cynicism that may be directed at anothe
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[nq:2]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head ... to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated. cheers dd[/nq]
[nq:1]I have a Generation X comic book (the first one, I believe). It came out when I was like 13 ... And I recently reread the comic and STILL couldn't understand it. Is there a major difference between "ironic" and "sardonic"?[/nq]
Based on the othe
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[nq:1]Obviously I've tried dictionaries but I can't get my head round what sardonic means. How is it distinct from ironic? Could someone put it into the context of a sentence to clarify the distinction. Any help greatly appreciated. cheers dd[/nq]
Usually "sardonic" is used of an expression of emotion, such as a sardonic grin or sardonic laughter. It is the kind of expression that indicates th
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[nq:1]Based on the other comments I've read, and the dictionary definitions, the difference in the case you are talking about would seem to be that ironic would be dispassionate, and sardonic would be loaded with negative emotion.[/nq]
My dictionary says sardonic comes from: "French sardonique, from Greek sardonios, alteration of sardanios." Any relation to Sardinia?

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