iro·ny
noun \ˈī-rə-nē also ˈī(-ə)r-nē\
: the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially in order to be funny
: a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected
Full Definition of IRONY
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
Examples of IRONY
Origin of IRONY
Latin ironia, from Greek eirōnia, from eirōn dissembler
Other Literature Terms
irony
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)
Language device in which the real intent is concealed or contradicted by the literal meaning of words or a situation. Verbal irony, either spoken or written, arises from an awareness of contrast between what is and what ought to be. Dramatic irony, an incongruity in a theatrical work between what is expected and what occurs, depends on the structure of a play rather than its use of words, and it is often created by the audience’s awareness of a fate in store for the characters that they themselves do not suspect. See also figure of speech.