sardonic laughter

См. также в других словарях:

• sardonic laughter — scornful laughter, mocking laughter …   English contemporary dictionary

• sardonic — 1630s, from Fr. sardonique (16c.), from L. sardonius (but as if from L. *sardonicus) in Sardonius risus, loan translation of Gk. sardonios (gelos) of bitter or scornful (laughter), altered from Homeric sardanios (of uncertain origin) by influence …   Etymology dictionary

• Sardonic —    , SAR DONIC LAUGHTER    A poisonous plant called Herba Sardonia gave the English language the word sardonic and gave the Italian island of Sardinia its name. The island in turn gave English the word sardine, the name for a small fish of the… …   Dictionary of eponyms

• sardonic — adjective /saːˈdɔnɪk,sɑːˈdɒnɪk,sɑɻˈdɑːnɪk/ a) Scornfully mocking or cynical. He distances himself from people with his nasty, sardonic laughter. b) Disdainfully or ironically humorous. See Also: sardonian …   Wiktionary

• Sardonic — Sar*don ic, a. [F. sardonique, L. sardonius, Gr. ?, ?, perhaps fr. ? to grin like a dog, or from a certain plant of Sardinia, Gr. ?, which was said to screw up the face of the eater.] Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive, mocking,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• Sardonic grin — Sardonic Sar*don ic, a. [F. sardonique, L. sardonius, Gr. ?, ?, perhaps fr. ? to grin like a dog, or from a certain plant of Sardinia, Gr. ?, which was said to screw up the face of the eater.] Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• Sardonic laugh — Sardonic Sar*don ic, a. [F. sardonique, L. sardonius, Gr. ?, ?, perhaps fr. ? to grin like a dog, or from a certain plant of Sardinia, Gr. ?, which was said to screw up the face of the eater.] Forced; unnatural; insincere; hence, derisive,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• sardonic — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ grimly mocking or cynical. DERIVATIVES sardonically adverb sardonicism noun. ORIGIN French sardonique, from Greek sardonios of Sardinia , alteration of sardanios, used by Homer to describe bitter or scornful laughter …   English terms dictionary

• laughter — n. 1) to cause, provoke laughter 2) contagious, infectious; convulsive; derisive; hearty, loud, raucous, uproarious; sardonic; subdued laughter 3) a burst, fit, gale; ripple of laughter 4) (misc.) to double up with laughter * * * [ lɑːftə]… …   Combinatory dictionary

• sardonic — sardonically, adv. sardonicism, n. /sahr don ik/, adj. characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering: a sardonic grin. [1630 40; alter. of earlier sardonian (influenced by F sardonique) < L sardoni(us) ( < Gk sardónios… …   Universalium

• sardonic — sar•don•ic [[t]sɑrˈdɒn ɪk[/t]] adj. characterized by scornful derision or bitter irony; mocking; cynical: a sardonic grin[/ex] • Etymology: 1630–40; alter. of earlier sardonian (influenced by F sardonique) < L sardoni(us) (< Gk sardónios of …   From formal English to slang