ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sarcastic

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //sɑɹˈkæstɪk// UK //sɑːkˈɑːstɪk// sar·cas·tic

adj. using words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say, usually to be funny or to show you are annoyed. You use this when you want to make a point by being a bit sharp or unkind.

adj. marked by the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. Often used to describe a tone of voice or a person's habitual communication style.


SIMPLE

He gave a sarcastic reply when I asked if he was busy.

CONTEXTUAL

Her sarcastic comment about the 'wonderful' weather made everyone realize she was actually miserable in the rain.

COMPLEX

The critic's review was famously sarcastic, dissecting the director's artistic choices with a biting wit that many found more entertaining than the film itself.

Antonyms
Origin

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”).

Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'sound', 'be', or 'become'. Commonly modified by degree adverbs such as 'highly', 'bitingly', or 'heavily'.

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