Etymology

irony

I1R1O1N1Y4

Today it means: The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context. Full definition →

First used the 1640sMiddle French ironie ← Latin īrōnīa ← Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneía)
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irony · noun1

  1. Ancient Greekεἴρων (eírōn)
  2. Ancient Greekεἰρωνεία (eirōneía)
  3. Latinīrōnīa
  4. Middle Frenchironie
  5. English todayirony

First attested in 1502. From Middle French ironie, from Old French, from Latin īrōnīa, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneía, “irony, pretext”), from εἴρων (eírōn, “one who feigns ignorance”).

irony · adjective, noun2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromhyrony
  2. English todayirony

From Middle English hyrony, yreny, yrony, yrunny, equivalent to iron + -y.

First known use, by meaning

  • from the 1640s Contradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.