Irony
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Irony
Irony (pronounced: /ˈʌɪrəni/) is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or event characterized by an incongruity, or contrast, between what the expectations of a situation are and what is really the case.
Etymology
The term "irony" originates from the Ancient Greek word εἰρωνεία eirōneía, meaning "dissimulation, feigned ignorance". It was introduced into English in the 16th century.
Types of Irony
There are several types of irony including:
- Dramatic irony: This occurs when the audience knows something that the characters do not.
- Situational irony: This happens when the exact opposite of what is meant to happen, happens.
- Verbal irony: This is when what one says is different from what one means.
Related Terms
- Sarcasm: A sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt. Often confused with irony.
- Satire: A genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement.
- Paradox: A statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to an apparently-self-contradictory or logically unacceptable conclusion.
See Also
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