sarcasm
UK /ˈsɑːˌkæzəm/ · US /ˈsɑːɹˌkæzəm/ noun
Forms sarcasms sarc
- noun (uncountable) Use of acerbic language to mock or convey contempt, often using verbal irony and (in speech) often marked by overemphasis and sneering.
- noun (countable) An individual act of the above.
Synonyms
derision facetiousness irony ridicule satire taunt gibe caustic remark
Etymology
From Late Latin sarcasmus, from Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós, “a sneer”), from σαρκάζω (sarkázō, “to gnash the teeth (in anger)”, literally “to strip off the flesh”), from σάρξ (sárx, “flesh”).
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sarcasm”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details