What does IRONY mean?

Definitions for IRONY
ˈaɪ rə ni, ˈaɪ ər-irony

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word IRONY.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. sarcasm, irony, satire, caustic remarknoun

    witty language used to convey insults or scorn

    "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift

  2. ironynoun

    incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs

    "the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated"

  3. ironynoun

    a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs

Wiktionary

  1. ironyadjective

    Of or pertaining to the metal iron.

    The food had an irony taste to it.

  2. Etymology: First attested in 1502. From ironia (perhaps via ironie), from εἰρωνεία, from εἴρων.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Ironyadjective

    Made of iron; partaking of iron.

    Etymology: from iron.

    The force they are under is real, and that of their fate but imaginary: it is not strange if the irony chains have more solidity than the contemplative. Henry Hammond, Fundamentals.

    Some springs of Hungary, highly impregnated with vitriolick salts, dissolve the body of one metal, suppose iron, put into the spring; and deposite, in lieu of the irony particles carried off, coppery particles. John Woodward, on Fossils.

  2. IRONYnoun

    A mode of speech in which the meaning is contrary to the words: as, Bolingbroke was a holy man.

    Etymology: ironie, Fr. ἰεϱωνεία.

    So grave a body, upon so solemn an occasion, should not deal in irony, or explain their meaning by contraries. Jonathan Swift.

Wikipedia

  1. Irony

    Irony (from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία eirōneía 'dissimulation, feigned ignorance'), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into different types, including verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony. Verbal, dramatic, and situational irony are often used for emphasis in the assertion of a truth. The ironic form of simile, used in sarcasm, and some forms of litotes can emphasize one's meaning by the deliberate use of language which states the opposite of the truth, denies the contrary of the truth, or drastically and obviously understates a factual connection.

ChatGPT

  1. irony

    Irony is a rhetorical or literary device often used in literature, speeches, and everyday life, where the actual meaning or outcome of a situation is different, typically opposite, from the expected or literal one. This could be presented in the form of a statement, situation or event. It often involves an element of surprise, humor, or even a sense of unexpected absurdity.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Ironyadjective

    made or consisting of iron; partaking of iron; iron; as, irony chains; irony particles

  2. Ironyadjective

    resembling iron taste, hardness, or other physical property

  3. Ironynoun

    dissimulation; ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist

  4. Ironynoun

    a sort of humor, ridicule, or light sarcasm, which adopts a mode of speech the meaning of which is contrary to the literal sense of the words

  5. Etymology: [L. ironia, Gr. dissimulation, fr. a dissembler in speech, fr. to speak; perh. akin to E. word: cf. F. ironie.]

Wikidata

  1. Irony

    Irony, in its broadest sense, is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or event characterized by an incongruity, or contrast, between reality and appearance. The term may be further defined into several categories, among which are: verbal, dramatic, and situational. Verbal, dramatic, and situational irony are often used for emphasis in the assertion of a truth. The ironic form of simile, used in sarcasm, and some forms of litotes emphasize one's meaning by the deliberate use of language which states the opposite of the truth — or drastically and obviously understates a factual connection. Other forms include dialectic and practical, as identified by Thirlwall.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Irony

    ī′run-i, n. a mode of speech which enables the speaker to convey his meaning with greater force by means of a contrast between the thought which he evidently designs to express and that which his words properly signify: satire.—adj. Iron′ical, meaning the opposite of what is expressed: satirical.—adv. Iron′ically.—The irony of fate, the perverse malignity of fate. [Fr.,—L. ironia, Gr. eirōneia, dissimulation—eirōn, a dissembler—eirein, to talk.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Irony

    is a subtle figure of speech in which, while one thing is said, some indication serves to show that quite the opposite is meant; thus apparent praise becomes severe condemnation or ridicule; practical irony is evinced in ostensibly furthering some one's hopes and wishes while really leading him to his overthrow. Life and history are full of irony in the contrast between ambitions and their realisation.

The Roycroft Dictionary

  1. irony

    The cactus-plant that sprouts over the tomb of our dead illusions.

Suggested Resources

  1. Irony

    Irony vs. Sarcasm -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Irony and Sarcasm.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'IRONY' in Nouns Frequency: #2984

How to pronounce IRONY?

How to say IRONY in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of IRONY in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of IRONY in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of IRONY in a Sentence

  1. Reginald Bolding:

    It’s a sickening irony that he’s doing this by dangling millions of federally provided funds for COVID-19 relief and forcing school districts to choose between the health and safety of kids and educators, or millions in additional funding that Republicans have withheld for years, with the delta variant running rampant and COVID-19 cases among children on the rise, it’s disgusting to put a bounty on spreading this illness to kids and punishing schools that try to operate safely.

  2. Sharon Callen:

    This just bleeds with irony.

  3. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Schlegel:

    Irony is the form of paradox. Paradox is what is good and great at the same time.

  4. Philip Hammond:

    The irony of course is that this is the government that has just led the world by committing to a zero-carbon economy.

  5. Princess Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco:

    Irony is the hygiene of the mind.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

IRONY#10000#16532#100000

Translations for IRONY

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