irony

== English == === Etymology 1 === 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”). ==== Pronunciation ==== (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈaɪə.ɹən.i/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈaɪ.ɹə.ni/, /ˈaɪ.ɚ.ni/ ==== Noun ==== irony (countable and uncountable, plural ironies) (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. (countable) An ironic statement. 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. Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist. (informal) Contradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected. [from the 1640s] ===== Usage notes ===== Some authorities omit the last sense, "contradiction of circumstances and expectations, condition contrary to what might be expected"; however, it has been in common use since the 1600s. Irony involving human folly is sometimes viewed as a highest or deepest form of irony, but the idea that it is the only true form of irony is prescriptive rather than descriptive. Defining the word is a challenging endeavor grappling with polysemy, as explored in the Wikipedia article at irony § The problem of definition. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ironically ===== Translations ===== ==== See also ==== ==== References ==== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English hyrony, yreny, yrony, yrunny, equivalent to iron +‎ -y. ==== Pronunciation ==== (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈaɪə.ni/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈaɪ.ɚ.ni/ ==== Adjective ==== irony (comparative more irony, superlative most irony) Of or pertaining to the metal iron. ===== Synonyms ===== ferric ferrous ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== irony (plural ironies) (childish, dated) A kind of metallic marble.