ironynoun [ U ]
uk/ˈaɪ.rə.ni/us/ˈaɪ.rə.ni/irony noun [ U ] (OPPOSITE RESULT)
C2 a situation in which something which was intended to have a particular result has the opposite or a very different result:
The irony (of it) is that the new tax system will burden those it was intended to help.
More examples
- With inevitable irony, it was Smith who scored the winning goal against his former team.
- The final irony of the situation was that Collins himself ordered the assassination.
- The irony is that the formula turned out to have been incorrect all along.
- He noted the irony that the weapons were now being used against the country that produced them.
- The irony is that his mistake will actually improve the team's situation.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Outcomes and consequences
- -ment
- aftereffect
- aftermath
- bang
- be a monument to sth idiom
- bed
- bite
- effect
- first fruit
- fruit
- function
- impact
- knock-on effect
- monument
- more bang for your buck(s) idiom
- spillover
- spin-off
- the bitter fruits of sth idiom
- the upshot
- trickle-down
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irony noun [ U ] (TYPE OF SPEECH)
C2 the use of words that are the opposite of what you mean, as a way of being funny:
Her voice heavy with irony, Simone said, "We're so pleased you were able to stay so long." (= Her voice made it obvious they were not pleased.)
Compare
sarcasm
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Figurative use of language
- a metaphor for sth idiom
- allegory
- anthropomorphism
- as
- as it were idiom
- fig
- figurative
- figuratively
- figure of speech
- idiom
- imagery
- ironic
- metaphor
- metaphorical
- metonymy
- mix
- mixed metaphor
- pathetic fallacy
- speak
- symbol
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