13
Oct
irony
iro·ny
noun \ˈī-rə-nē also ˈī(-ə)r-nē\ plural iro·niesDefinition of IRONY
1 : a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other’s false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning —called also Socratic irony 2a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning b : a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony c : an ironic expression or utterance 3a (1) : incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2) : an event or result marked by such incongruity b : incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play —called also dramatic irony, tragic ironyExamples of IRONY
- a writer known for her clever use of irony
- “What a beautiful view,” he said, his voice dripping with irony, as he looked out the window at the alley.
- She described her vacation with heavy irony as “an educational experience.”
- It was a tragic irony that he made himself sick by worrying so much about his health.
- That’s just one of life’s little ironies.
- The irony of the situation was apparent to everyone.
- He has a strong sense of irony.
