irony

The word “irony” means a situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is the opposite of what was expected. In plain terms, a gap between what's expected or said and what actually happens or is meant.

“Irony” is pronounced EYE-uh-ruh-nee (/ˈaɪ.ɹə.ni/ in IPA).

Here is “irony” used in a sentence: “The irony of the fire drill was that a real fire broke out an hour later.”

“Irony” is a noun.

The word “irony” comes from Ancient Greek. From Latin īrōnīa, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneía, "pretended ignorance"), from εἴρων (eírōn, "one who feigns ignorance").

“Irony” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Irony” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is the opposite of what was expected.

Irony is a situation or statement where the actual outcome or meaning is the opposite of what was expected, while sarcasm is a deliberate, often cutting use of irony in speech to mock or criticise. All sarcasm involves irony, but not all irony is sarcastic.

Irony broadly covers situations where outcomes are the opposite of what was expected, and verbal irony, where the literal words spoken mean the opposite of what's intended, often for humorous or sarcastic effect. Dramatic irony, a related concept, occurs when an audience knows something the characters do not.

Situational irony occurs when the actual outcome of events is the opposite of what was expected, such as a locksmith getting locked out of their own house. This differs from verbal irony, which involves saying the opposite of what is meant.