Both facetious and sarcastic are words that characterize two types of utterances or utterances that can be distinguished. A facetious statement is a lighthearted comment made about such a serious problem in an effort to be humorous, while a sarcastic comment is a harsh, stinging remark or a taunting made only with the intention of showing disdain.
Key Takeaways
- Sarcastic remarks use irony to mock or convey contempt, while facetious comments are playfully humorous or inappropriate.
- Sarcasm often carries a negative tone or intent, while facetiousness is generally lighthearted and inoffensive.
- Sarcasm can be hurtful, while facetious comments are intended to amuse rather than criticize.
Sarcastic vs Facetious
Sarcastic is a form of verbal irony that is used to mock or ridicule someone or something. Facetious is lighthearted, playful, or not intended to be taken seriously. Sarcasm is critical or mocking, while facetiousness is a more lighthearted form of humor that is not intended to be taken seriously.

Sarcastic denotes โhaving sarcastic qualitiesโ or โusing ironic words to purposely tease or insult a person.โ It is derived from the Greek word sarkazein, meaning โbitterly talk.โ When somebody is sarcastic, he says exactly the opposite of just what he actually entails in some sharp or harsh tone in order to insult others.
The term facetious derives from the Latin facetus, which means clever or funny. In current terminology, this term often refers to just being dismissive or cavalier about a sensitive matter in an effort to be humorous or appear intelligent. Being Facetious is considered healthy by many people.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Sarcastic | Facetious |
---|---|---|
Derived From | The term sarcastic is derived from a Greek word sarkazein, whose meaning isย โto talk bitterly.โ | Whereas, Facetious is derived from a Latin term Facetus that means โwitty.โ |
Meaning | Being sarcastic means โhaving sarcastic traitsโ or โusing ironic words to purposely criticize or insult a personโ. | On the other hand, Facetious clearly means โtaking the situation in a funny and incorrect manner,โ. |
Remarks taken | A sarcastic statement employs the polar opposite of reality to mock the individual who is the target. A sarcastic statement might be biting and stinging. | Whereas, a facetious statement uses humor and amusement to deliver a message. A facetious comment can be regarded playfully. |
Amuse and Hurt | As the term suggests, sarcastic statements are meant to hurt the person intentionally most of the times. | Facetious statements, on the other hand, are pretty much amusing and are taken as jokes. |
Examples | Whenever something bad happens to an individual and they say โ โThatโs what I needed todayโ. This is an example of sarcastic situation. | Whenever a comedian jests with the audience, it is considered as Facetious. |
What is Sarcastic?
Sarcastic denotes โhaving sarcastic qualitiesโ or โusing ironic words to purposely tease or insult a person.โ It is derived from the Greek word sarkazein, meaning โbitterly talk.โ When somebody is sarcastic, he says exactly the opposite of just what he actually entails in some sharp or harsh tone in order to insult others.
The Oxford Dictionary defines sarcasm as โthe use of irony to insult or communicate contempt.โ The individual intends the opposite of what they say when using sarcasm. Sarcasm is intended to be unpleasant and impolite; thus, the goal of sarcasm might be defined as disparaging, mocking, or ridiculing somebody.
As a result, it can have a negative impact. Sarcasm might be difficult to discern depending on the merits of the statement, but it can be noticed based on the presenterโs tone or attitude. A personโs sarcasm in statements is sometimes hidden under facetiousness.

What is Facetious?
The term facetious derives from the Latin facetus, which means clever or funny. In current terminology, this term often refers to just being dismissive or cavalier about a sensitive matter in an effort to be humorous or appear intelligent.ย
The same can be stated as treating a serious matter with purposefully irreverent humor. Facetious is widely used to explain an individualโs comment or statement. Whenever a comedian says something facetious, it is regarded as a joke and therefore is accepted lightly.ย
As a result, the goal of someone being facetious is about being witty and getting people to chuckle without malice. It also comes from the French word โfacetie,โ which indicates โjoke.โ A facetious comment should be treated lightly, as contrasted to a sarcastic statement that can be unpleasant and nasty.
It is not necessarily offensive to state that somebody is being facetious. Facetious is just an adjective that means โnot severe,โ โwaggish,โ and facetiousness seems to be a noun.
Main Differences Between Sarcastic and Facetious
- The term sarcastic is derived from the Greek word sarkazein, whose meaning is โto talk bitterly.โ Whereas, Facetious is derived from the Latin term Facetus which means โwitty.โ
- Being sarcastic means โhaving sarcastic traitsโ or โusing ironic words to purposely criticize or insult a person.โ On the other hand, Facetious clearly means โtaking the situation in a funny and incorrect manner.โ
- A sarcastic statement employs the polar opposite of reality to mock the target individual. A sarcastic statement might be biting and stinging. In contrast, a facetious statement uses humour and amusement to deliver a message. A facetious comment can be regarded playfully.
- As the term suggests, sarcastic statements are meant to hurt the person intentionally most of the time. Facetious statements, on the other hand, are pretty much amusing and are taken as jokes.
- Whenever something bad happens to an individual, they say, โThatโs what I needed today.โ This is an example of a sarcastic situation. Whenever a comedian jests with the audience, it is considered as Facetious.

- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0261927X8800700202
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950705116301320

Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.