IRONY • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Irony

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/ˈaɪrəni/ Listen

noun

Irony n.

Dissimulation; ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.

A sort of humor, ridicule, or light sarcasm, which adopts a mode of speech the meaning of which is contrary to the literal sense of the words.

adjective

Irony adj.

Made or consisting of iron; partaking of iron; iron; as, irony chains; irony particles; In this sense iron is the more common term. (R.)

Resembling iron in taste, hardness, or other physical property.

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Etymology of 'Irony'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Irony" Quotes from Famous Books

... (which, because it exhibits an ancient text of a type like B, has been styled [with grim irony] 'the Queen of the Cursives') is more brilliant here than usual; exhibiting St. Mark's clause (4) thus,—[Greek: kai gar he lalia ...

— The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels • John Burgon

... cracked voice, flavoured with an ominous irony. Dick paused in the middle of a throw with a cocked ear and upturned eyes; Jacker Mack grinned all across his broad face and winked meaningly. They heard the shuffling of a pair of heavily shod feet, ...

— The Gold-Stealers - A Story of Waddy • Edward Dyson

... innocence with vehement language and takes refuge in counter-accusations. The wordy warfare goes merrily on for some minutes as earnestly as if they were quarrelling over their own honest money instead of over mine. The joint query of "chand pool?" gathers an additional load of irony from the fact that they didn't seem to think it worth while to even ask him ...

— Around the World on a Bicycle Volume II. - From Teheran To Yokohama • Thomas Stevens

... hand as if to check him with a warning gesture. "Yes, dear," she said suddenly, lifting her musical voice, with a mischievous side-glance at Paul, as if to indicate her conception of the irony of a possible application, "this way. Here we are waiting for you." Her listening ear had detected Milly's step in the passage, and in another moment that cheerful young woman discreetly stopped on the threshold of the room, with every expression of apologetic ...

— A Ward of the Golden Gate • Bret Harte

... through thin, grey rain-cloud. It was a faded lady of a day—a lady of waxen cheeks, attired in pearl-grey and old lace, her dim eyes illumined by a last smile. It gave an air of unreality to the perspective of tall buildings, and treated with indulgent irony the passing show of humans—on foot, on omnibuses, in cabs and motors—turning them into shadow shapes tending no whither. I laughed to myself. They all fancied themselves so real. They all had schemes in their heads, as if they were going ...

— Simon the Jester • William J. Locke

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