Definition of IRONY

irony

Plural: ironies

Noun

  • The expression of meaning through language that signifies the opposite.
  • witty language used to convey insults or scorn; ; ; --Jonathan Swift
    • "irony is wasted on the stupid"
  • incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs
    • "the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated"
  • a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • An ironic statement.
  • 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.
  • Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
  • Contradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected.
  • A kind of metallic marble.

Adj

  • Of or pertaining to the metal iron.

Examples

  • The food had an irony taste to it.
  • The IRONY of drawing all vowels after playing ’ZYZZYVA’ was not lost on the Words With Friends player.
  • The scrap yard had bins marked for irony aluminum, such as aluminum engine blocks not wholly cleaned of bolts, studs, brackets, and so on.

Origin / Etymology

First attested in 1502. From Middle French ironie, from Old French, from Latin īrōnīa, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneía, “irony, pretext”), from εἴρων (eírōn, “one who feigns ignorance”).

Synonyms

caustic remark, sarcasm, satire, ferric, ferrous

Scrabble Score: 8

irony: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
irony: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
irony: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 8

irony: valid Words With Friends Word