Ironic

Pronunciation: /aɪˈrɑnɪk/

Definitions of ironic

adjective using or characterized by irony; happening in the opposite way to what is expected

Example Sentences

A1 It was ironic that the weather forecast predicted sunshine, but it ended up raining all day.

A2 She found it ironic that she had warned her friend about being careful with money, yet she was the one who ended up overspending.

B1 The situation was quite ironic - the teacher who always preached about punctuality was the one who arrived late to the meeting.

B2 It was ironic that the company promoting healthy living was caught selling unhealthy snacks in their vending machines.

C1 The irony of the situation was not lost on him - after years of avoiding commitment, he found himself in a serious relationship.

C2 The film's ending was incredibly ironic, as the villain turned out to be the hero's long-lost brother.

Examples of ironic in a Sentence

formal It is ironic that the company promoting healthy eating was caught serving expired food.

informal Isn't it ironic that the weather forecast said sunny skies but it's raining outside?

slang It's so ironic that she said she hates drama but always starts it herself.

figurative The irony of his success is that he never wanted to be in the spotlight.

Grammatical Forms of ironic

• past tense: ironized
• plural: ironics
• comparative: more ironic
• superlative: most ironic
• present tense: ironic
• future tense: will be ironic
• perfect tense: have been ironic
• continuous tense: is being ironic
• singular: ironic
• positive degree: ironic
• infinitive: to be ironic
• gerund: ironizing
• participle: ironized

Origin and Evolution of ironic

First Known Use: 1628 year

Language of Origin: Greek

Story behind the word: The word 'ironic' comes from the Greek word 'eironeia' which means feigned ignorance or dissimulation.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe a rhetorical device where the speaker says something but means the opposite, the meaning of 'ironic' has evolved to also encompass situations where there is a discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, often resulting in humor or incongruity.