Irony

Pronunciation: /ˈaɪərəni/

Definitions of irony

noun a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result

Example Sentences

A1 It's ironic that the firefighter's house burned down.

A2 The irony of the situation is that he became a doctor to save lives, but couldn't save his own.

B1 The irony of the story is that the villain turned out to be the hero's long-lost brother.

B2 The irony of the situation is that she finally got her dream job, only to realize she hated it.

C1 The playwright used irony to convey a deeper meaning in the play.

C2 The irony of the situation is that the politician who campaigned against corruption was later found guilty of embezzlement.

Examples of irony in a Sentence

formal The irony of the situation is that the man who never wanted children ended up being the best father.

informal It's ironic how the weather forecast said it would be sunny all day, but it's been raining non-stop.

slang The irony of the whole thing is that she said she hated drama, but she's always in the middle of it.

figurative The irony of life is that sometimes the people who claim to care the most are the ones who hurt you the most.

Grammatical Forms of irony

• past tense: ironied
• plural: ironies
• comparative: more ironic
• superlative: most ironic
• present tense: irony
• future tense: will irony
• perfect tense: have ironied
• continuous tense: is ironying
• singular: irony
• positive degree: ironic
• infinitive: to irony
• gerund: ironying
• participle: ironied

Origin and Evolution of irony

First Known Use: 1502 year

Language of Origin: Latin and Greek

Story behind the word: The word 'irony' comes from the Latin word 'ironia' and the Greek word 'eironeia', both meaning feigned ignorance or dissimulation.

Evolution of the word: Initially used in a literary sense to describe a rhetorical device, the meaning of 'irony' has evolved to encompass situations where there is a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs.