# asteism

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Polite irony; a genteel and ingenious manner of deriding another.

## Etymology
Ultimately from Ancient Greek ἀστεῖος (asteîos, “of the town; urbane”), from ἄστυ (ástu, “town”). Compare Greek αστεϊσμός (asteïsmós).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/asteism