irony
/ˈaɪ.ɹə.ni/
Frequency: 3.86 in modern English
Meaning
noun
The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.
Countable
noun
Dramatic irony: a theatrical effect in which the meaning of a situation, or some incongruity in the plot, is understood by the audience, but not by the characters in the play.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Contradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected.
Countable; Informal; Uncountable
adj
Of or pertaining to the metal iron.
Example Sentences
- "Irony, saying what it ne'er intends, Censures with praise, and speaks to foes as friends."
- "A principal virtue of Rorty's recognition of both the lightminded and the serious side of irony is to urge us in that direction."
- "It is one of the ironies of capital cities that each acts as a symbol of its nation, and yet few are even remotely representative of it. London has always set itself apart from the rest of Britain — but political, economic and social trends are conspiring to drive that wedge deeper."
- "The second irony is that the only American who intuitively or otherwise grasps this reality and possesses a large enough ego potentially capable of governing in these circumstances is the president."
- "The food had an irony taste to it."
- "The scrap yard had bins marked for irony aluminum, such as aluminum engine blocks not wholly cleaned of bolts, studs, brackets, and so on."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ironie, -, īrōnīa, εἰρωνεία, hyrony
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈaɪ.ɹə.ni/
- British English: /ˈaɪə.ɹə.ni/