variants or satirical

Synonym Chooser

How is the word satiric different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of satiric are ironic, sarcastic, and sardonic. While all these words mean "marked by bitterness and a power or will to cut or sting," satiric implies that the intent of the ridiculing is censure and reprobation.

a satiric look at contemporary society

When can ironic be used instead of satiric?

Although the words ironic and satiric have much in common, ironic implies an attempt to be amusing or provocative by saying usually the opposite of what is meant.

made the ironic observation that the government could always be trusted

When would sarcastic be a good substitute for satiric?

In some situations, the words sarcastic and satiric are roughly equivalent. However, sarcastic implies an intentional inflicting of pain by deriding, taunting, or ridiculing.

a critic known for his sarcastic remarks

Where would sardonic be a reasonable alternative to satiric?

The meanings of sardonic and satiric largely overlap; however, sardonic implies scorn, mockery, or derision that is manifested by either verbal or facial expression.

surveyed the scene with a sardonic smile

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of satiric The show isn't satiric so much as amused by the absurd lengths to which the Kaylas of our society will go in pursuit of self-definition. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024 Mann at his most satiric has Settembrini contributing an essay to a multivolume project whose purpose is to end suffering. George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024 Others are satiric vignettes—pointed takedowns of sham humanitarians, sham foreign journalists, sham white saviors and their sham schemes to save the continent—whose villains can read more like stock inventions than like surprising ones. Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024 The satiric sculpture — a comment on the 2021 Capitol riot — appeared on Thursday, Oct. 24, and has a permit to remain through Oct. 30, according to the National Park Service. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for satiric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for satiric
Adjective
  • While Lucie is warm, vivacious, and a ray of light that shines off the page, Aiden is a grumpy, reluctant romantic who hides behind sarcastic quips.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025
  • For instance, a sarcastic comment brushed off as a joke, or unspoken expectations that fuel resentment.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • On a recent Saturday afternoon, several thousand people gathered in Union Square, in the biting cold, for a rally in support of trans youth.
    Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Now, 72 hours after being purged because they were considered probationary workers, a biting reality has set in for many of them.
    CNN.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • There were no trees nearby, just rows and rows of tan and olive-green tents erected on cement and surrounded by airport hangars, porta-potties, barbed wire, and guard towers.
    Edwidge Danticat, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Additionally, the walls were covered in barbed wire, and the balcony had a large privacy wall.
    Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • How it got expressed in Tony was not sharp elbows, but a boundless, Midwestern good nature, and decency.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Banks that embrace this shift can gain tangible advantages: sharper operations, happier customers and innovation that happens in weeks, not quarters.
    Jitender Jain, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Satiric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/satiric. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on satiric

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