Sardonic laugh

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, mocking, malignant, or bitterly sarcastic; -- applied only to a laugh, smile, or some facial semblance of gayety. [1913 Webster]

Where strained, sardonic smiles are glozing still, And grief is forced to laugh against her will. --Sir H. Wotton. [1913 Webster]

The scornful, ferocious, sardonic grin of a bloody ruffian. --Burke. [1913 Webster]

{Sardonic grin} or {Sardonic laugh}, an old medical term for a spasmodic affection of the muscles of the face, giving it an appearance of laughter. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • sardonic laugh — noun see sardonic grin …   Useful english dictionary

  • sardonic laugh — sar·don·ic laugh sär .dän ik n RISUS SARDONICUS …   Medical dictionary

  • 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 grin — noun or sardonic laugh Etymology: translation of New Latin risus sardonicus : risus sardonicus …   Useful english dictionary

  • laugh — I n. 1) to get a laugh (the joke got a big laugh) 2) to stifle, suppress a laugh 3) a belly; derisive; forced; hearty, loud; infectious; sardonic; subdued laugh 4) (misc.) to have the last laugh on smb.; to do smt. for a laugh (for laughs) II v.… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • Sardonic Wrath — Infobox Album | Name = Sardonic Wrath Type = studio Artist = Darkthrone Released = September 6, 2004 Recorded = 2004 Length = 34:22 Label = Moonfog Productions Producer = Darkthrone Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3.5|5… …   Wikipedia

  • 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

  • Disapprobation — (Roget s Thesaurus) < N PARAG:Disapprobation >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 disapprobation disapprobation disapproval Sgm: N 1 improbation improbation Sgm: N 1 disesteem disesteem disvaluation displacency Sgm: N 1 odium odium Sgm: N 1 …   English dictionary for students

  • sar|don´i|cal|ly — sar|don|ic «sahr DON ihk», adjective. bitterly contemptuous; coldly scornful; mocking: »a fiend s sardonic laugh, a sardonic outlook. I well remember his sardonic amusement over the hoopla occasioned in this country by the first Kinsey report… …   Useful english dictionary

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