Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
- n. An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
- n. A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect. See Synonyms at wit1.
- n. Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs: "Hyde noted the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated” ( Richard Kain).
- n. An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity. See Usage Note at ironic.
- n. Dramatic irony.
- n. Socratic irony.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Consisting of or resembling iron; also, resembling any of the distinctive qualities of iron.
- n. Simulated ignorance in discussion: a method of exposing an antagonist's ignorance by pretending to desire information or instruction from him. This method of discussion, the Socratic irony, was characteristic of Socrates, with reference to whom the term was first used.
- n. Hence Covert sarcasm; such a use of agreeable or commendatory forms of expression as to convey a meaning opposite to that literally expressed; sarcastic laudation, compliment, or the like.
Wiktionary
- adj. Of or pertaining to the metal iron.
- n. 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, notably as a form of humor.
- n. 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.
- n. Ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist; Socratic irony.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. rare Made or consisting of iron; partaking of iron; iron; ; -- In this sense
iron is the more common term. - adj. Resembling iron in taste, hardness, or other physical property.
- n. Dissimulation; ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
- n. 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.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs
- n. incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs
- n. witty language used to convey insults or scorn
Etymologies
- First attested in 1502. From Latin īrōnīa (perhaps via Middle French ironie), from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneia, "irony, pretext"), from εἴρων (eirōn, "one who feigns ignorance"). (Wiktionary)
- French ironie, from Old French, from Latin īrōnīa, from Greek eirōneia, feigned ignorance, from eirōn, dissembler, probably from eirein, to say; see wer-5 in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“It may seem as if Mr. Lear is simply applying the term "irony" to insights that Sigmund Freud discovered a century ago; indeed "A Case for Irony" includes commentaries by a few distinguished thinkers who, in different ways, say as much.”
“The term irony itself is rooted in the Greek eiron, or "a dissembler," or liar.”
“Situational irony is different in that the readers are not aware; the results are unexpected and mocking in relation to what was expected (the usual use of the term irony).”
“You could dignify this with the word irony, but it is just the usual story of politics and hypocrisy.”
The Guardian: Ken Clarke is ready to betray 800 years of British justice | Henry Porter
“Thats not all, the irony is as a would be customer from same/other banks you will keep getting printed advertisement about new products (Home/Car Loans, FDs, MFs etc.) sealed in a pretty colored envelope posted onto your address every now and then.”
Books, Ebooks and the Environment « Tales from the Reading Room
“Well, the irony is the candidates listed are actually doing the party a favor.”
See if you can spot what's wrong* with this mailer. (Blog for Democracy)
“AH, the RNC whining about being given a taste of it's own $h1t. the irony is astounding. dee”
“Therefore the irony is a 'spa' serving a 'British breakfast', generally composed of sausage, eggs, and beans.”
“I'm sorry but the irony is almost too much to bear!”
“The other irony is the longer I worked at Kinko's, the less likely I was to enjoy actual music.”
Dru Blood - I believe in the inherent goodness of all beings: Love and Sleep and my life in Music
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘irony’.
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Visuals
A list of words which yield surprising, beautiful, amusing, or otherwise noteworthy images here on Wordnik.
photochrom, fufluns, thank you, cool l..., postcard, picture postcard, cricket, physiological ill..., Gakuryū Ishii, ametropia, One Froggy Evening, rhodopsin, Santiago Calatrava and 636 more...
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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INTERP - challenges
abbreviations, abstractness, abstruse terms, accent, activation of kno..., adequacy, allusions, arcane expressions, attention splitting, availability of i..., badly drafted speech, baroque sentences and 171 more...
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Irony
A list about iron, irons, and irony.
iron, irons, irony, Jeremy Irons, ferritin, ferruginous duck, ferruginous, ironing, hematite, limonite, magnetite, taconite and 144 more...
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From reading
Collected from reading
venerate, reprobate, reticent, adoration, ethereal, ephemeral, equivocal, contumacious, heinous, solicitous, agnostic, aberration and 335 more...
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Rhetorical Devices
trope, wellerism, antimetabole, syncope, open-list, accismus, abating, abbaser, abecedarian, abcisio, ablatio, abominatio and 425 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( et...
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 2046 more...
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The Request Line
This is the place to add words you'd like Charles Harrington Elster to pronounce for you!
swingeing, affiant, dahlia, hydrangea, re, clematis, Nabokov, casu marzu, schadenfreudgeon, nefarious, mewl, manteion and 170 more...
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Y
What a -Y does to an otherwise common, dull word
zany, waxy, wavy, arty, chewy, bony, boxy, cozy, nosy, foxy, wiry, junky and 321 more...
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Philosophic , etymology
every major discipline has uniquely developed esoteric nomenclature to facilitate interdisciplinary dissemination
quale , qualia, elegy, tacet, lexicon, annunciate, caste, eros, contrive, purlicue, irony, venacular, dilapidate and 567 more...
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Hence
Words with definitions that have a "hence" in them.
hanger, Deet, tripe, spindlelegs, fiddle, store, pluck, snap, villain, link, comedy, particular and 410 more...
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LIT - stylistic schemes & rhetorical ...
polyptoton, polysyndeton, aureation, pleonasm, anacoluthon, anadiplosis, anaphora, anastrophe, antistrophe, antithesis, aporia, aposiopesis and 34 more...
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hashtags
*possibly* some interesting / noteworthy twitter hashtags
( randomness )tfoh, omgfacts, girlthings, gothgirlproblems, deepthoughts, scriptchat, fml, girldictionary, respect, facepalm, skill, quote and 28 more...
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Types of Humor
dry wit, irony, sarcasm, black humor, blue humor, gallows humor, parody, Burlesque, satire, repartee, wit, deadpan and 12 more...
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Culture Jamming
appropriate, subvertise, adbust, detournement, carnivalesque, remix, mashup, critical, protest, subvertisement, adbusting, disrupt and 47 more...
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Literally
Words with definitions that contain the word "literally."
Biblicist, cy pres, literally, lit., loan translation, metaphrase, polite, Embarrass, repentance, rabbi, sparkle, article and 30 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for irony.

oroboros What the carpenter's nail felt like? Jun 1, 2010
bilby Lo. Feb 3, 2010
oroboros Sheesh, busted for DUI while sitting on your bar stool!? Mar 31, 2009
jmjarmstrong JM wonders why irony isn't the same as bronzey or silvery or goldy or tinny. Feb 1, 2009
sarra
Dec 17, 2008
kewpid The use of the word “irony�? has declined 50% in New York daily newspapers since 2000. Nov 24, 2008
seanahan As Bender Bending Rodriguez sings, "The use of words expressing something other than their literal intention!" Dec 3, 2006