From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsardonicsar‧don‧ic /sɑːˈdɒnɪk $ sɑːrˈdɑː-/ adjective written LIKE somebody OR STH#showing that you do not have a good opinion of someone or something, and feel that you are better than them He looked at her with sardonic amusement. —sardonically /-kli/ adverb
Examples from the Corpus
sardonic• Roman's slow smile was infinitely sardonic.• Now each absurdly impossible picture returned to her with a sardonic caption attached: Oh, yeah?• The scar gave his face a mocking, sardonic cast except when he smiled.• As centres of commerce, finance and fashion their buildings reflect the sardonic elegance of a bygone era.• He raised a sardonic eyebrow as she sat down opposite him and started to eat.• He gave a brief, sardonic laugh.• Moreover, her sardonic tone, though justified in the text, sounded more annoying than engaging.• She was totally guileless, honest, with a mordant sense of humour and sardonic wit.Origin sardonic (1600-1700) French sardonique, from Greek sardonios, from sardanios; influenced by Sardonios “Sardinian”, because of a plant from Sardinia (an Italian island) which causes the face to twist into a smile 