Sarcasm Meaning
/ˈsɑːɹˌkæzəm/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounUse of acerbic language to mock or convey contempt, often using verbal irony and (in speech) often marked by overemphasis and sneering.
nounAn individual act of the above.
Sentence Examples
His sarcasm galls me.
He spoke with a suggestion of sarcasm in his voice.
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ was clear when he said 'Great job' after she made a huge mistake.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His comment was dripping with ____, making it clear he had no faith in the plan.
Word Origin & History
From Late Latin sarcasmus, from Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós, “a sneer”), from σαρκάζω (sarkázō, “to gnash the teeth (in anger)”, literally “to strip off the flesh”), from σάρξ (sárx, “flesh”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited."
— 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ was clear when he said 'Great job' after she made a huge mistake.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His comment was dripping with ____, making it clear he had no faith in the plan.