Sardonicisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A form of wit characterized by a disdainful or mocking tone that highlights human folly
2. A style of humor that conveys contempt or skepticism through irony and sarcasm
3. An expression or remark that reveals a cynical attitude while cleverly commenting on serious subjects

Etymology: "Sardonicisms" is the plural of "sardonicism," a word built from "sardonic" plus the suffix "-ism." The "-ism" ending comes from Ancient Greek "-ismos," which turned verbs into nouns of action, state, or doctrine, and passed into English as a productive suffix for systems of belief or habitual manner. Attaching it to "sardonic" produces a noun for the characteristic style of humor that the adjective describes. The root "sardonic" carries the real story. It descends from the Greek "sardonios," which is linked to the island of Sardinia, a place the ancients associated with a grim kind of laughter. Strong bitter herbs native to the island were said to produce facial convulsions resembling a grimace, and the phrase "sardonios gelos," meaning sardonic laughter, described a smile that was really a sneer of pain or scorn. Because the adjective carried that sense of mocking, painful grimness, the noun built on it keeps the idea of contempt disguised as amusement. The suffix supplies the sense of a practised manner, so "sardonicism" names a way of speaking rather than a single remark.

Synonyms: sarcasms, ironies