sarcastic
/sɑɹˈkæs.tɪk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.60 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
adj
Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "He smiled to himself, and threw a glance of fine sarcastic meaning towards Hepzibah."
- "In men’s clubs such celebrations were, though expiring, less uncommon; but either the natural shyness of the softer sex, or a sarcastic attitude on the part of male relatives, had denuded such women’s clubs as remained (if any other did) or this their glory and consummation."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *twerḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *túrḱs /*twérḱs 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”).
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /sɑɹˈkæs.tɪk/
- British English: /sɑːˈkæs.tɪk/