ironically

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UK/aɪˈɹɒnɪkli/US/aɪˈɹɑnɪkli/

adverb

In an ironic manner; in a way displaying irony.

“My colleague ironically avoids doctors like the plague!”

OriginProto-Germanic *līką ← Proto-Indo-European *leyg- ← English ironic →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

adverbironically (comparative more ironically, superlative most ironically)

comparative more ironically · superlative most ironically

  1. mannerIn an ironic manner; in a way displaying irony.

    My colleague ironically avoids doctors like the plague!

  2. evaluativeUsed to draw attention to an ironic aspect of a situation being described.

    Ironically, the automated checkout system ended up costing more in repairs than the workers it was meant to replace.

Origin

  1. Englishironic
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  4. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  5. Proto-Germanic*līką
  6. Englishironically

From ironic + -ally.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan irònicament
  • irònicamentIn an ironic manner
Dutch ironisch
  • ironischIn an ironic manner
Esperanto ironie
  • ironieIn an ironic manner
Finnish ironisesti
  • ironisestiIn an ironic manner
French ironiquement, ironiquement
  • ironiquementIn an ironic manner
  • ironiquementevaluative (sentence-modifying)
German ironisch
  • ironischIn an ironic manner
Italian ironicamente
  • ironicamenteIn an ironic manner
Polish ironicznie
  • ironicznieIn an ironic manner
Portuguese ironicamente
  • ironicamenteIn an ironic manner
Romanian ironic
  • ironicIn an ironic manner
Russian ирони́чно, ирони́чески
  • ирони́чно (ironíčno)In an ironic manner
  • ирони́чески (ironíčeski)In an ironic manner
  • по иро́нии судьбы́ (po irónii sudʹbý)evaluative (sentence-modifying)
Slovak ironicky
  • ironickyIn an ironic manner
Spanish irónicamente
  • irónicamenteIn an ironic manner
Ukrainian іроні́чно
  • іроні́чно (ironíčno)In an ironic manner
Cite this entry
APA

ironically. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ironically

MLA

“ironically.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ironically. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ironically,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ironically.

Source: ironically on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.