sarcastically

Everyday

Sarcastically means saying something in a mocking way, where you say the opposite of what you mean in order to tease or hurt, like saying "Oh, great!" when something bad happens. tree →

In the lessons

In English reading, "she said sarcastically" tells the reader not to take the words literally; the speaker means the opposite. Sarcasm is a kind of irony, often shown by tone of voice. In lessons on kindness, sarcasm can hurt feelings, and it is easy to misunderstand in texts and messages.

Examples

• "Oh, brilliant," he said sarcastically, as the rain started. tree →
• "Thanks a lot," she said sarcastically when her brother ate the last biscuit. tree →
• He clapped sarcastically when I dropped the ball. tree →
• "What a lovely surprise," Mum said sarcastically, looking at the muddy floor. tree →
• Don't speak sarcastically to your teacher. tree →
• She rolled her eyes and answered sarcastically. tree →
• Read the line sarcastically and the meaning changes. tree →
• "I suppose it's full of molasses now," remarked one of the young men, sarcastically. tree →

Note

Spelling: sarcastic + -ally (not -ly): sarcastically. Noun: sarcasm. Sarcastic words mean the opposite of what they say, so look at the tone and the situation. Sarcasm is hard to spot in writing, which causes arguments online.