Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pretending ignorance; simulating lack of instruction of knowledge. See irony, 1.
  • Hence Conveying or consisting of covert sarcasm; sarcastic under a serious or friendly pretense: as, an ironical compliment.
  • Addicted to irony; using disguised sarcasm: as, an ironical speaker.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Pertaining to irony; containing, expressing, or characterized by, irony.
  • adjective Addicted to the use of irony; given to irony.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.
  • adjective Given to the use of irony; sarcastic.
  • adjective obsolete Feigning ignorance; simulating lack of instruction or knowledge; exhibiting Socratic irony.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective humorously sarcastic or mocking
  • adjective characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Certainly ironical is the attempt to. bring in Biblical typology when Adrian, Clara, and Verney set sail for Greece.

    Paley, "Apocalypse Without Millenium" Part 2 1989

  • Sensitive to atmosphere, Jolyon soon felt the latent antagonism between the boys, and was puzzled by Holly; so he became unconsciously ironical, which is fatal to the expansiveness of youth.

    In Chancery 2004

  • The first effect of this confession on Dick Marvin was depressing, but after pondering it a minute he laughed and recalled the ironical old rhyme:

    The Apples of Hesperides, Kansas 1996

  • That is what you might call ironical, is it not, sir?

    Best Detective Stories Hare, Cyril, 1900-1958 1959

  • Sensitive to atmosphere, Jolyon soon felt the latent antagonism between the boys, and was puzzled by Holly; so he became unconsciously ironical, which is fatal to the expansiveness of youth.

    Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works John Galsworthy 1900

  • Sensitive to atmosphere, Jolyon soon felt the latent antagonism between the boys, and was puzzled by Holly; so he became unconsciously ironical, which is fatal to the expansiveness of youth.

    The Forsyte Saga - Complete John Galsworthy 1900

  • Sensitive to atmosphere, Jolyon soon felt the latent antagonism between the boys, and was puzzled by Holly; so he became unconsciously ironical, which is fatal to the expansiveness of youth.

    The Forsyte Saga, Volume II. Indian Summer of a Forsyte In Chancery John Galsworthy 1900

  • Perchance he/she (I really felt it was a smarmy male.) didn't know 'ironical' was a real word in much the same way folks confuse the "irregardlessness" of it all?

    no, i have time 2008

  • Picking Bayh would be kind of ironical, seeing as it was Dan Quayle who jackhammered his dad's butt out of the Senate, sending him back to private life after spending some 30 years in Congress.

    I call Barack Obama to account for picking another bland, midwestern pretty boy. Ann Althouse 2008

  • Bell's response "If it ain't, it'll do until the mess gets here" was, in the novel, exactly the kind of ironical humor that one would most easily associate with the Coens, and this is the kind of moment that would seem to gel most easily with their own aesthetic.

    11/17: No Country For Old Men Ed Howard 2007

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