irony

plural ironies

1. countablerhetoricuncountableThe 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.

   Irony, saying what it ne'er intends, Censures with praise, and speaks to foes as friends.

   1835, L[arret] Langley, “[The Seven Tropes.] Irony.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 11

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   A principal virtue of Rorty's recognition of both the lightminded and the serious side of irony is to urge us in that direction.

   1994, David L. Hall, Richard Rorty: Prophet and Poet of the New Pragmatism, →ISBN, page 146

   1. countablerhetoricAn ironic statement.

      The second irony is that the only American who intuitively or otherwise grasps this reality and possesses a large enough ego potentially capable of governing in these circumstances is the president.

      2025 September 8, Harlan Ullman, “Will America survive another 250 years?”, in The Hill

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      It is one of the ironies of capital cities that each acts as a symbol of its nation, and yet few are even remotely representative of it. London has always set itself apart from the rest of Britain — but political, economic and social trends are conspiring to drive that wedge deeper.

      2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, “London Is Special, but Not That Special”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 10 Oct 2021, retrieved 28 Sep 2013

2. countableuncountableDramatic irony: a theatrical effect in which the meaning of a situation, or some incongruity in the plot, is understood by the audience, but not by the characters in the play.
3. countableuncountableSocratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
4. countableinformaluncountableContradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected.First known use the 1640s

comparative more irony · superlative most irony

1. Of or pertaining to the metal iron.

   The food had an irony taste to it.

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   The scrap yard had bins marked for irony aluminum, such as aluminum engine blocks not wholly cleaned of bolts, studs, brackets, and so on.

   Thus in Cornwall, and many parts of Germany and France, in mineral districts, an irony appearance of a vein, where seen at the crop, is regarded as favourable.

   1860, William Somerville Orr, The Circle of the Sciences, page 269

   E. W. Baker, Main St. - No odor, good appearance, slight irony taste; pressure weak. But water which had stood in wash pitcher some three or four days showed pronounced odor.

   1916, Report, volume 24, New Hampshire. State Department of Health, page 256

   There can be no doubt that persistent biking robs the female limb of its graceful contour and substitutes therefore the rugged protrusive muscles, the ungainly and irony look of the masculine leg.

   1919, William Cowper Brann, The Complete Works of Brann, the Iconoclast, volume 11, page 41

   It [overgrazing] eventually causes a particularly hard irony surface to the soil which is perfectly unmistakable once you have seen it , and also certain weeds which are also unmistakable once you have seen them.

   1927, “Minutes of Evidence Taken Before the Royal Commission on Agriculture”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), Great Britain. Royal Commission on Agriculture in India, page 210

   Synonyms: ferric, ferrous

plural ironies

1. childishdatedA kind of metallic marble.

   And before the season's over millions of "glassies" and "aggies" or "ironies" will change hands, and thousands more will manage to get themselves lost.

   1968, Boys' Life, volume 58, number 5, page 10