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Noun: irony  I-ru-nee
  1. Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs
    "the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated"
     
  2. Witty language used to convey insults or scorn, esp. saying one thing but implying the opposite
    "irony is wasted on the stupid";
    - sarcasm, satire, caustic remark
     
  3. A trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs
    "The fire station burning down is an example of situational irony"

Derived forms: ironies

See also: sarcastic, sarky [Brit, informal], unsarcastic

Type of: drollness, figure, figure of speech, humor [US], humour [Brit, Cdn], image, incongruity, incongruousness, trope, wit, witticism, wittiness

Encyclopedia: Irony