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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.]

irony1
n pl -nies
1. the humorous or mildly sarcastic use of words to imply the opposite of what they normally mean
2. an instance of this, used to draw attention to some incongruity or irrationality
3. incongruity between what is expected to be and what actually is, or a situation or result showing such incongruity
4. (Performing Arts / Theatre) See dramatic irony
5. (Philosophy) Philosophy See Socratic irony
[from Latin ironia, from Greek eirōneia, from eirōn dissembler, from eirein to speak]

irony2
adj
of, resembling, or containing iron
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
noun
1. sarcasm, mockery, ridicule, bitterness, scorn, satire, cynicism, derision, causticity, mordancy She examined his face for a hint of irony, but found none.
2. paradox, ambiguity, absurdity, incongruity, contrariness Opposition parties wasted no time in stressing the irony of the situation.
Translations
irony [ˈaɪərənɪ] Nironía f
the irony of fatelas ironías del destino
life's little ironieslas(pequeñas)ironías de la vida
the irony of it is thatlo irónico es que ...

irony [ˈaɪərəni] n
[tone, remark] → ironie f
There seemed to be no hint of irony in his voice → On ne décelait aucune trace d'ironie dans sa voix.
without irony → sans ironie
(= odd turn of events) → ironie f
by a curious irony
By a curious irony, they both died of the same rare disease → Une curieuse ironie voulut qu'ils meurent tous deux de la même maladie rare.
the irony is that ... → l'ironie veut que ..., l'ironie est que ...

irony
nIronie f no pl; the irony of the situationdas Ironische an der Situation; the irony of it is that …das Ironische daran ist, dass …, die Ironie liegt darin, dass …; one of the great ironies of historyeine der ironischsten Fügungen der Geschichte; life’s ironiesdie Ironie des Lebens; by some irony of fate, he …durch eine ironische Wendung des Schicksals geschah es, dass er …

irony [ˈaɪərənɪ] nironia
the irony of it is that ... → l'ironia maggiore è che...
it's one of life's ironies → è un'ironia della sorte or del destino
irony [ˈaɪərənɪ] nironia
the irony of it is that ... → l'ironia maggiore è che...
it's one of life's ironies → è un'ironia della sorte or del destino

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 반어(反語), 반어법 ironija ironija ironi ironie ironi ironia ironia ironie ирония irónia ironija ironija ironi ถ้อยคำแดกดัน alay, kinaye 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 ironija ironija ironi ironie (skjebnens) ironi ironia ironia ironie ирония irónia ironija ironija ironi ถ้อยคำเย้ยหยัน kaderin cilvesi, garip bir rastlantı 諷刺意含 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 반어(反語)의 ironiškas ironisks ironik ironisch ironisk ironiczny irónico ironic иронический ironický ironičen ironičan ironisk เชิงเยาะเย้ย alaycı, kinayeli 諷刺的 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 諷刺地 іронічно طنزیہ một cách mỉa mai

irony سُخرية ironie ironi Ironie ειρωνεία ironía ironia ironie ironija ironia 皮肉 풍자 ironie ironi ironia ironia ирония ironi การประชด ince alay sự mỉa mai 讽刺


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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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