Etymology

antiphrasis

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Today it means: Use of a word or phrase in a sense opposite of its literal meaning, especially for ironic or humorous effect. Full definition →

Late Latin antiphrasis ← Ancient Greek ἀντίφρασις
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἀντίφρασις
  2. Late Latin · borrowed fromantiphrasis
  3. English todayantiphrasis

Borrowed from Late Latin antiphrasis, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀντίφρασις (antíphrasis) (< phrazein "declare").

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.