sarcasm Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun witty language used to convey insults or scorn
irony; satire; caustic remark.
- he used sarcasm to upset his opponent
- irony is wasted on the stupid
- Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift

F. sarcasme, L. sarcasmu, Gr. to tear flesh like dogs, to bite the lips in rage, to speak bitterly, to sneer, fr. , , flesh.

A keen, reproachful expression; a satirical remark uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt; a taunt; a gibe; a cutting jest.
The sarcasms of those critics who imagine our art to be a matter of inspiration. Sir J. Reynolds.
Syn. -- Satire; irony; ridicule; taunt; gibe.