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irony

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
i·ro·ny  (r-n, r-)
n. pl. i·ro·nies
1.
a. The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
b. An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
c. A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect. See Synonyms at wit1.
2.
a. 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.
b. An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity. See Usage Note at ironic.
3. Dramatic irony.
4. Socratic irony.

[French ironie, from Old French, from Latin rna, from Greek eirneia, feigned ignorance, from eirn, dissembler, probably from eirein, to say; see wer-5 in Indo-European roots.]

irony
Noun
pl -nies
1. the mildly sarcastic use of words to imply the opposite of what they normally mean
2. a situation or result that is the direct opposite of what was expected or intended [Greek eirōneia]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.ironyirony - witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift
humor, wit, witticism, wittiness, humour - a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
2.irony - incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs; "the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated"
incongruity, incongruousness - the quality of disagreeing; being unsuitable and inappropriate
Socratic irony - admission of your own ignorance and willingness to learn while exposing someone's inconsistencies by close questioning
3.irony - a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs
antiphrasis - the use of a word in a sense opposite to its normal sense (especially in irony)
dramatic irony - (theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play
figure of speech, trope, image, figure - language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense
indeed - (used as an interjection) an expression of surprise or skepticism or irony etc.; "Wants to marry the butler? Indeed!"

irony
Translations

irony [ˈaɪrənɪ] nironía;
the irony of it is that ... → lo irónico del caso es que ...
irony [ˈaɪrənɪ] nironie f
irony [ˈaɪrənɪ] nIronie f;
the irony of it is that ... → das Ironische daran ist, dass ...
irony [ˈaɪrənɪ] nironia

irony
n irony [ˈaiərəni]
1 a form of deliberate mockery in which one says the opposite of what is obviously true. ironie سُخْرِيَه، تَهَكُّم ирония ironie ironi die Ironie ειρωνεία ironía iroonia طعنه ironia ironie אִירוֹניָה व्याजोक्ति, व्यंग्य ironija irónia ironi írónía, háð, hæðni ironia 皮肉 반어법 ironija ironija ironi ironie ironi ironia ironia ironie ирония irónia ironija ironija ironi ถ้อยคำแดกดัน alay, kinaye 反話, 諷刺 іронія تنز، چھپا ہوا طعنہ sự mỉa mai ,
2 seeming mockery in a situation, words etc The irony of the situation was that he stole the money which she had already planned to give him. ironie سُخْرِيَة الموقِف ирония ironie ironi die Ironie ειρωνεία ironía iroonia استهزاء؛ مسخرگی ironia ironie אִירוֹניָה अदृष्ठ विधान ironija irónia kelucuan kaldhæðni ironia 皮肉な結果 아이러니, 기이한[] 결과 ironija ironija ironi ironie (skjebnens) ironi ironia ironia ironie ирония irónia ironija ironija ironi ถ้อยคำเย้ยหยัน kaderin cilvesi, garip bir rastlantı 冷嘲 іронія حالات کی ستم ظریفی sự trớ trêu
adj ironic(al) [aiˈronik(l)]
ironies ساخِر подигравателен ironický ironisk ironisch ειρωνικός irónico irooniline طعنه آمیز ironinen ironique אִירוֹנִי व्यंग्तात्मकता ironičan ironikus ironis írónískur, kaldhæðinn ironico 皮肉な 반어적인 ironiškas ironisks ironik ironisch ironisk ironiczny irónico ironic иронический ironický ironičen ironičan ironisk เชิงเยาะเย้ย alaycı, kinayeli 冷嘲的 іронічний طنز آمیز mỉa mai
adv iˈronically
ironies بصورةٍ ساخِرَه подигравателно ironicky ironiskt ironisch ειρωνικά irónicamente irooniliselt بطور طعنه آمیز ironisesti ironiquement בְּאִירוֹניָה व्यंग्तात्मकता ironično ironikusan secara ironis kaldhæðnislega, írónískt ironicamente 皮肉に 반어적으로 ironiškai ironiski dengan ironi ironisch ironisk nok ironicznie ironicamente (în mod) ironic иронически ironicky ironično ironično ironiskt ถากถาง alaycı/kinayeli bir şekilde 冷嘲地 іронічно طنزیہ một cách mỉa mai


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
But in the main it must be regarded as the ideal of Socrates, according to Plato's conception of him, appearing in the greatest and most public scene of his life, and in the height of his triumph, when he is weakest, and yet his mastery over mankind is greatest, and his habitual irony acquires a new meaning and a sort of tragic pathos in the face of death.
It is part of the general irony of things that in life's crises a man's good qualities are often the ones that help him least, if indeed they do not actually turn treacherously and fight against him.
Nowhere in Plato is there a deeper irony or a greater wealth of humor or imagery, or more dramatic power.
 
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