Dictionary

irony en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈɑɪ.ɹən.i/ (Australia)
• /ˈaɪ.ɹə.ni/ (Canada, US)
• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈaɪ.ɚ.ni/ (Canada, US)
• /ˈaɪə.ɹə.ni/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek εἴρων (eírōn) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek -είᾱ (-eíā) Ancient Greek εἰρωνείᾱ (eirōneíā)der. Latin īrōnīader. Old French Middle French ironieder. English irony 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”).

Meanings

1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) 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.
   • A principal virtue of Rorty's recognition of both the lightminded and the serious side of irony is to urge us in that direction. 1994, David L. Hall, Richard Rorty: Prophet and Poet of the New Pragmatism, →ISBN, page 146:
   • Irony, saying what it ne'er intends, Censures with praise, and speaks to foes as friends. 1835, L[arret] Langley, “[The Seven Tropes.] Irony.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 11:
2. (countable, rhetoric) 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.
   • It is one of the ironies of capital cities that each acts as a symbol of its nation, and yet few are even remotely representative of it. London has always set itself apart from the rest of Britain — but political, economic and social trends are conspiring to drive that wedge deeper. 2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, “London Is Special, but Not That Special”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 10 Oct 2021, retrieved 28 Sep 2013:
   • The second irony is that the only American who intuitively or otherwise grasps this reality and possesses a large enough ego potentially capable of governing in these circumstances is the president. 2025 September 8, Harlan Ullman, “Will America survive another 250 years?”, in The Hill:
3. (countable, uncountable) 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.
4. (countable, uncountable) Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
5. (countable, informal, uncountable) Contradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected.

Forms

Deriveds

irony mark · ironize · ironical · ironist · dramatic irony · post-irony · ironic · situational irony · postirony · cosmic irony · ironym · Socratic irony

Relateds

meiosis · sarcasm · ironically · auxesis

Translations (122)

es ironía (condition contrary to expectations) · ro ironie (condition contrary to expectations) · gl retranca (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ru иро́ния (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · et iroonia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · it ironia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · sh irònija (condition contrary to expectations) · hu irónia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · cs ironie (condition contrary to expectations) · sh иро̀нија (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ga íoróin (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ar مُفَارَقَة (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · hi विडम्बना (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · az istehza (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ko 반어 (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · hy իրոնիա (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · bg иро́ния (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · mk иронија (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ug ئىرونىيە (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · nb skjebnens ironi (condition contrary to expectations) · uk іро́нія (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · lv ironija (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · es ironía (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tg киноя (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ia ironia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tg истеҳзо (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · sk irónia (condition contrary to expectations) · sh иро̀нија (condition contrary to expectations) · ar تَنَافُر (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ar اِسْتِهْزَاء (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ug تەنە (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · be іро́нія (condition contrary to expectations) · sh irònija (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ja 諷刺 (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ky ирония (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · hi विडंबना (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · pt ironia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · de Ironie (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ro ironie (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · uk іро́нія (condition contrary to expectations) · ar تَعَارُض (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · mk иронија (condition contrary to expectations) · th การแฝงนัย (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · nn ironi (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ja 反語 (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · el ειρωνεία (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · fi ironia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · th คำประชด (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · fa استهزا (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · el ειρωνεία (condition contrary to expectations) · mi kōrero takahiri (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tr ironi (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tl parikala (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ta வஞ்சப்புகழ்ச்சி (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ru иро́ния (condition contrary to expectations) · he אִירוֹנְיָה (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ka ირონია (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · gl ironía (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · nl ironie (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ia ironia (condition contrary to expectations) · ug كىنايە (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · fr ironie du sort (condition contrary to expectations) · sk irónia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tg ришханд (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tl libak (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · fa کنایه (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · da ironi (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · hy հեգնանք (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · it paradosso (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tr tezat (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · nb ironi (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · fa ریشخند (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · cmn 諷刺 /讽刺 (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ca ironia (condition contrary to expectations) · fi ironia (condition contrary to expectations) · pl ironia (condition contrary to expectations) · az rişxənd (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · sv ironi (condition contrary to expectations) · cmn 反語 /反语 (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · sq ironi (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · is írónía (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · fa گواژه (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · nl ironie (condition contrary to expectations) · ja アイロニー (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · kk ирония (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · da ironi (condition contrary to expectations) · pl ironia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · hi व्यंग्य (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · eo ironio (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · sl ironija (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tr ironi (condition contrary to expectations) · vi giống gang (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · th คำแดกดัน (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · cmn 反話 /反话 (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ko 풍자 (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · tr istihza (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · sv ironi (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · de Ironie (condition contrary to expectations) · sl ironija (condition contrary to expectations) · mi kōrori (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · pt ironia (condition contrary to expectations) · ur اِسْتِہْزا (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · lt ironija (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · th คำถากถาง (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · be іро́нія (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · uz kinoya (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · uz istehzo (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · fr ironie (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ar سُخْرِيَة (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · vi giống thép (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · nl het ironische (condition contrary to expectations) · hi विडंबना (condition contrary to expectations) · ar تَهَكُّم (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · az kinayə (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · th คำเย้ยหยัน (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · ca ironia (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · uz ironiya (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · id ironi (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · lv ironija (condition contrary to expectations) · th คำประชดประชัน (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally) · bg иро́ния (condition contrary to expectations) · cs ironie (statement that may mean the opposite of what is written literally)

irony en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈaɪ.ɚ.ni/ (US)
• /ˈaɪə.ni/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English hyrony, yreny, yrony, yrunny, equivalent to iron + -y.

Meanings

1. Of or pertaining to the metal iron.
   • There was nothing left, besides just the pile of files on my desk, and the irony look on Catherine's face. 2016, Shazia Ameerun, A First Move:
   • The scrap yard had bins marked for irony aluminum, such as aluminum engine blocks not wholly cleaned of bolts, studs, brackets, and so on.
   • E. W. Baker, Main St. - No odor, good appearance, slight irony taste; pressure weak. But water which had stood in wash pitcher some three or four days showed pronounced odor. 1916, Report, volume 24, New Hampshire. State Department of Health, page 256:
   • Raspberries raw, stewing, jamming, pulping, take over my house during July, overlaying the richer, more irony smell of the blackcurrant – a contralto to a soprano. 2012, Jenny Joseph, Led By The Nose: A Garden of Smells:
   • Thus in Cornwall, and many parts of Germany and France, in mineral districts, an irony appearance of a vein, where seen at the crop, is regarded as favourable. 1860, William Somerville Orr, The Circle of the Sciences, page 269:
   • The food had an irony taste to it.
   • It [overgrazing] eventually causes a particularly hard irony surface to the soil which is perfectly unmistakable once you have seen it , and also certain weeds which are also unmistakable once you have seen them. 1927, “Minutes of Evidence Taken Before the Royal Commission on Agriculture”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), Great Britain. Royal Commission on Agriculture in India, page 210:
   • There can be no doubt that persistent biking robs the female limb of its graceful contour and substitutes therefore the rugged protrusive muscles, the ungainly and irony look of the masculine leg. 1919, William Cowper Brann, The Complete Works of Brann, the Iconoclast, volume 11, page 41:

Forms

Synonyms

ferric · ferrous

Translations (15)

pl żelazny (of or pertaining to iron) · nl ijzerhoudend (of or pertaining to iron) · sk železný (of or pertaining to iron) · sk železový (of or pertaining to iron) · es férreo (of or pertaining to iron) · ta இரும்பு (of or pertaining to iron) · el σιδηρούς (of or pertaining to iron) · sk železitý (of or pertaining to iron) · bg железен (of or pertaining to iron) · hu vasas (of or pertaining to iron) · fr ferreux (of or pertaining to iron) · nl ijzerachtig (of or pertaining to iron) · pt ferroso (of or pertaining to iron) · ro feros (of or pertaining to iron) · el σιδερένιος (of or pertaining to iron)

irony en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈaɪ.ɚ.ni/ (US)
• /ˈaɪə.ni/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English hyrony, yreny, yrony, yrunny, equivalent to iron + -y.

Meanings

1. (childish, dated) A kind of metallic marble.
   • And before the season's over millions of "glassies" and "aggies" or "ironies" will change hands, and thousands more will manage to get themselves lost. 1968, Boys' Life, volume 58, number 5, page 10:

Forms