Have you ever heard someone claim something when it’s actually the opposite that’s true? Like saying ‘what a wonderful day’ when the sky is grey and it’s raining hard? That’s an example of irony.
Often misunderstood, irony involves a disconnect between appearance and reality, expectation and outcome, or intention and interpretation. Its subtleties can provoke humour, criticism, or profound reflection, making it a powerful instrument in literature, speech, and even social commentary.
In this article, you can expect to learn what irony is and be able to provide examples of ironic sayings and what they really mean. We will also cover the three types of irony, how irony compares with other figures of speech, and how best to use irony. Then we’ll top that off with a section where we answer your most frequently asked questions on the subject. By the end, you’ll feel like an expert.
What is irony?
In simple terms, irony is when the meaning or truth being conveyed is different or even opposite to what is being said or what is to be expected.
There are several different types of irony. Verbal irony is the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning. Situational irony is when the opposite of what is expected to happen occurs. More on types of irony to follow shortly.
In everyday life, verbal irony is often used as a way to complain, or sometimes as a way to exaggerate. But irony also occurs in stories in a different way, and not just in dialogue. Many famous literary authors have used irony in their works, including Shakespeare, Dickens, Orwell, Twain and Shelly.
15 examples of irony
Here follows 15 examples of irony. You may have heard some of them before now.
- A police station gets robbed.
- An English teacher who has problems with their own spelling.
- A couple’s therapist applies for divorce.
- Thinking no one cared enough to remember your birthday only to find out your friends and family planned a surprise party.
- An anti-technology group sets up a website to recruit new club members.
- Someone who’s allergic to their favourite food.
- An astronomer being afraid of the dark.
- A cat lover who’s allergic to cats.
- Al Capone, the notorious American gangster, had a brother who was a federal Prohibition officer.
- William Eno, known as the Father of Traffic Safety, invented the stop sign but never actually learned to drive.
- Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous asked for three shots of whiskey on his deathbed.
- The Christian bible is the most shoplifted book of all time in the USA.
- In the famous play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare had the character Romeo kill himself because he believed that his love, Juliet, was dead. This is ironic because Juliet was actually alive, and just in a deep sleep, so Romeo had killed himself for nothing.
- In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the character King Duncan says that he trusts Macbeth, however the audience knows full well the Macbeth is plotting to murder the king and usurp his throne.
- In the film Forrest Gump, Tom Hank’s character plays what seems to be a very simple man, but he ends up being very successful with a wide array of achievements.
Types of irony
The five main types of irony are verbal, dramatic, situational, cosmic and Socratic. Let me explain.
Verbal irony
Verbal irony is when someone says something but means the opposite of what say. Much like the earlier example of someone saying ‘what a wonderful day’ when the sky is grey and it’s raining hard.
The purpose of this is to highlight the contrast between what is being said and what is being implied. Sometimes the effect of this is to draw a laugh from someone, and othertimes the intent is to criticise someone or something.
Dramatic irony
Dramatic irony takes place in stories (whether read or played out), where the audience knows something that at least one of the characters does not.
The purpose of dramatic irony is like letting the audience in on a secret, and to build suspense. Shakespeare used dramatic irony a lot.
Situational irony
Situational irony occurs when the opposite of what you’d expect to happen happens. Like the earlier example of a police station being robbed.
The purpose of situational irony (in writing, as opposed to in real life) is usually to provide a bitterness to the tale, or dark humour.
Cosmic irony
Cosmic irony is when it seems as though the universe itself is against the person, people, or characters. It’s often used by fiction writers.
The purpose of cosmic irony in storytelling is to maintain the audience’s interest in the fate of the characters as they overcome one obstacle after another in their quest. Will they make it?
Socratic irony
Socratic irony is derived from the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Socratic irony is when a character feigns ignorance in order to uncover hidden truths.
In a crime drama, the character might pretend to remember to enquire about a small matter when his targets are most unguarded for a dramatic finale. Meanwhile, in a courtroom drama, a prosecutor may use the technique to lay a trap for the defendant, putting on quite the show as the defendant struggles to maintain his innocence.
Top tips for using irony
When using irony, you must avoid common pitfalls. You need to ensure you know your audience profile, and ensure that your tone of voice (whether verbal or written) will suit the situation. You must also ensure that you do not confuse your audience. Here are some more specific tips.
Top tips for using irony for persuasion
Irony is often used in negotiation and sales because by contrasting one thing with another can help to make the point you want to make, and strengthen the argument. It can be used to create humour, sarcasm, criticism, or surprise.
You can use irony to appeal to your audience’s emotions and create a lasting impression. You could also use irony to mock or undermine the competition, and ridicule the weakness of their position. When using irony to persuade, you should also be careful not to be too harsh or aggressive in your sales pitch.
Top tips for using irony in writing creative fiction
Using verbal irony
Irony can be confusing many people if they are not fully informed of the circumstances, so be sure to provide sufficient context to make the irony clear. But not so much that it loses its subtlety.
Irony can also be used as hyperbole. For example, instead of, when the weather is dismal and dark, saying ‘nice weather’, you could say ‘OMG, this is the sunniest day of my entire life’.
Using dramatic irony
The key to using dramatic irony and using it well is to carefully control the flow of information to your audience.
Using situational irony
In order to make your situational irony as effective as possible in your story, you first of all need to set up your reader’s expectation early on, and then continue to build on it, before hitting the audience with the totally unexpected twist at the end.
FAQ
How to explain irony to a child?
Irony is when a person (or character) says or does something that departs from what they (or you) expect them to say or do.
Are irony and sarcasm the same?
Irony and sarcasm are often confused, which is not surprising given how similar they can be. Verbal irony is when someone means the opposite of what is being said. The same can be said for sarcasm, but the key difference is that sarcasm is always meant to criticise something or someone.
Is irony hypocrisy?
Hypocrisy can be considered a form of situational irony, because in situations where it’s hypocritical for someone to behave in a particular way, it’s also ironic for them to do so.
Is irony the same as coincidence?
Coincidence is often used as a synonym for irony, but coincidence and irony have different definitions. That said, there are some circumstances which can be considered both coincidence and ironic. For instance, if someone says ‘be careful not to slip’ and then slips themselves.
How is paradox different from an ironic figure of speech?
A paradox is a statement or situation that may be true but seems impossible or difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics. But, this is different from irony because paradox relies on the clarity and exactness of language.
What is the opposite of irony in figures of speech?
Literalness or directness.
Are oxymorons ironic?
Yes.
Final word
So to sum up, irony is the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.
Irony’s strength lies in its ability to illuminate contradictions, challenge perceptions, and provoke thought, making it a versatile rhetorical device for use in both everyday life and in literature. Irony can serve as a powerful lens through which we can explore truth, ambiguity, and the unpredictable nature of existence.