Dictionary

ironic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /aɪˈɹɒn.ək/ (New-Zealand)
• [ɑe̯ˈɹɔ̟n.ək] (New-Zealand)
• /aɪˈɹɑ.nɪk/ (General-American)
• /aɪˈɹɒn.ɪk/ (Canada)
• audio Maryland
• audio Queensland
• (London) audio
• /ɑeˈɹɔn.ɪk/ (Australia)
• /aɪˈɹɒn.ɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /aɪˈɹɑ.nɪk/ (Canada)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin īrōnicus, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνικός (eirōnikós). Compare Middle French, ironique, equivalent to irony + -ic.

Meanings

1. (of a situation) Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.
   • It’s ironic that a member of a survey crew went missing […] 2026 August 23, Aniket Chaughule, “Christopher Thompkins Vanished From a Georgia Survey Site in 2002. His Coworkers Were Only 50 Feet Away”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2026:
   • Chloe had once seen a real-life goth hanging around by a garbage bin in the high street and become incredibly excited. She really wanted to go over and ask her how to get started in the goth world, but she was too shy. Which was ironic, since shyness is something you need if you want to be a successful goth. 2009 October 29, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Mr Stink, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:
   • It was ironic I forgot my textbook on human memory. 2014, Steven Pinker, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century!, page 275:
   • It's somewhat ironic to have a wave of smog right on Earth Day.
2. (of a situation, proscribed) Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony. ▸ Odd or coincidental; strange.
   • It's ironic that we are eating a sandwich in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
3. (qualifier:preceded with "being") Acting in an unserious and teasing manner.
   • Don't take it personally. We're just being ironic.
4. (of a statement, qualifier:action, usually) Done in an insincere and mocking manner; satirical.
   • Here’s a tip: If a group of people start using something as ironic hate speech, it will eventually be used for unironic hate speech. Don’t act surprised. 2019 December 31, AJ Willingham, “All the trends we loved and hated in the 2010s”, in CNN:
   • You should assume that everything this guy posts is ironic.

Forms

Deriveds

ironic error · ironical · ironically · unironic · postironic · ironic process theory · nonironic · self-ironic

Relateds

dramatic irony · Socratic irony

Synonyms

ironical

Translations (36)

bg подиграва́телен (characterized by irony) · eo ironia (characterized by irony) · it ironico (characterized by irony) · nb ironisk (characterized by irony) · fr ironique (characterized by irony) · pt irônico (characterized by irony) · la ironicus (characterized by irony) · af ironies (characterized by irony) · nl ironisch (characterized by irony) · cs ironický (characterized by irony) · ca irònic (characterized by irony) · sk ironický (characterized by irony) · sl ironičen (characterized by irony) · pt irónico (characterized by irony) · es irónico (characterized by irony) · ja 風刺的な (characterized by irony) · ru ирони́чный (characterized by irony) · da ironisk (characterized by irony) · pl ironiczny (characterized by irony) · uk іроні́чний (characterized by irony) · bg ирони́чен (characterized by irony) · de ironisch (characterized by irony) · oc ironic (characterized by irony) · ro ironic (characterized by irony) · he אִירוֹנִי (characterized by irony) · ga íorónta (characterized by irony) · sh iròničan (characterized by irony) · el ειρωνικός (characterized by irony) · ko 아이러니하다 (characterized by irony) · mk ироничен (characterized by irony) · fi ironinen (characterized by irony) · be ірані́чны (characterized by irony) · ru ирони́ческий (characterized by irony) · sh иро̀ничан (characterized by irony) · sv ironisk (characterized by irony) · it sarcastico (characterized by irony)