Irony
/ˈaɪ.ə.ni/noun
A figure of speech or situation in which the intended meaning is different from, or opposite to, the literal one.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek eirōn, a “dissembler” or “one who says less than he means,” and in classical drama the eirōn was the sly underdog who outwitted the boastful fool.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
eirōneía
“dissembling, feigned ignorance, irony”
Ancient Greek
Greek
eírōn
“a dissembler, a person who understates or pretends ignorance”
Late Latin
Latin
ironia
“irony, feigned ignorance”
Old French
Old French
ironie
“irony, sarcasm”
Late Middle English
English
ironie
“irony, rhetorical understatement”
Modern English
English
irony
“a contrast between expectation and reality; saying one thing while meaning another”