Sarcasm
noun /ˈsɑːkæz(ə)m/ — Cutting remarks that mean the opposite — sharpened to wound.
Definition
The use of irony to mock or convey contempt; a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark made with intent to hurt.
Beyond the definition
Sarcasm is irony with teeth. Whereas wit plays, sarcasm often bites — it carries a harder edge, a desire not just to be clever but to sting. At its best, it's cathartic. At its worst, it's cruelty wearing a joke's face.
Origin & history
From Greek sarkazein — to tear flesh (from sarx: flesh). The original sense was physical rending — a word that tears. Somehow this became the polite word for a certain kind of verbal bite.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
'Brilliant plan,' she said, her sarcasm as subtle as a thunderclap.
Sarcasm rarely persuades — it more often hardens the position of the person it's aimed at.
He'd perfected the art of sarcasm in a family where directness was considered impolite.
Synonyms
Antonyms
sincerity, earnestness, directness
Related words
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Colleagues Pointing at Coworker
Coworkers gesture at one colleague in a display of blame, showing a sharp, contemptuous attitude that mocks the individual for a collective failure.
Sarcasm is the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. The coworkers’ gestures and their singling out of the colleague represent a form of social sarcasm, as their actions mock the colleague while hiding their own lack of responsibility, using the situation to hurt rather than to genuinely understand or cooperate.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated illustration