Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sardonic

/sɑɹˈdɑnɪk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.58 in modern English

Syllables
sar-don-ic
IPA
/sɑɹˈdɑnɪk/
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

Example Sentences

Etymology

From French sardonique, from Latin sardonius, from Ancient Greek σαρδόνιος (sardónios), alternative form of σαρδάνιος (sardánios, “bitter or scornful laughter”), which is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant (Ranunculus sardous or possibly Oenanthe crocata), known as either σαρδάνη (sardánē) or σαρδόνιον (sardónion). When eaten, it would cause the eater's face to contort in a look resembling scorn (generally followed by death). It might also be related to σαίρω (saírō, “to grin”). The related term sardoin, as gentilic, is ultimately derived from σάρδιον (sárdion) from Σάρδεις (Sárdeis), referring to Sardis in Lydia or Sart in Manisa, Turkey; other sources reference Sardonian from Σαρδόνιος (Sardónios, “from Sardinia”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: sardonique, sardonius, σαρδόνιος

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /sɑɹˈdɑnɪk/
  • British English: /sɑːˈdɒnɪk/

Inflected Forms

more sardonic (comparative) most sardonic (superlative)

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce sardonic?
The recorded pronunciation is /sɑɹˈdɑnɪk/.
What does sardonic mean?
Scornfully mocking or cynical.
Where does sardonic come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce sardonic

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sardonic”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/sɑɹˈdɑnɪk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “sardonic”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “sardonic” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.