What is irony?

Question

I thought is was to use the opposite to emphasis something, eg you may say "Yeah, right," when you don't believe something. But often people say something is ironic when it's a coincidence, like I heard recently "it was ironic that a Californian man was stabbed by a stingray so soon after Steve Irwin died the same way." Which is correct?

Answer 1

You're right with the first example. Irony is an unexpected reversal of meaning.

It is a coincidence or example of deja vu or disturbing trend that a stringray jumped into a boat and stabbed a California man shortly after Steve IRwin died from a stingray striking him in his heart.

Answer 2

You're confusing sarcasm with irony. Ironic or irony is that thing that is surprising or having synchronicity that you're not expecting. The older man who was injured in the same way as Steve Irwin, but didn't die is irony, because the older man learned not to pull out the tail from Mr. Irwin's death.

Answer 3

They mean it was such a contradition that the man in California survived the stingray attack and Steve didn't. But it was also ironic because people says stingray attack is so rare, that it occurs almost every month. Its really the media because Irwin was killed by the stingray. Stingray attacks can account to one million attack each day!!!!!!

Answer 4

Everything in Alanis Morressette's song "Ironic" is NOT examples of irony. An example of irony would be the GPA club at my high school (Governor's Program for Abstinence) couldn't go on the field trip to the GPA convention because all the ladies were dressed too provocatively.

Answer 5

1

[uncountable and countable]a situation that is unusual or amusing because something strange happens, or the opposite of what is expected happens or is true

eg.Life is full of little ironies.


tragic/cruel/bitter etc irony

eg. The tragic irony is that the drug was supposed to save lives.




2

[uncountable]when you use words that are the opposite of what you really mean, often in order to be amusing


trace/hint/touch of irony

eg. Wagner calls his program ‘the worst talk show in America,’ without a hint of irony.


heavy irony British English (=a lot of irony)

eg. 'Of course Michael won't be late; you know how punctual he always is,' she said with heavy irony.

Answer 6

Irony is a trope in which an expression is used in such a fashion as to convey the opposite meaning of what is expressed.

Saying you’re a pretty sight to a mud-splattered child is an illustration of irony

Answer 7

Irony is getting hit by a bus after leaving the hospital where you recovered from a traffic accident.

Answer 8

It's when the literal meaning is the opposite of the intended meaning.

Answer 9

I t depends in waht context its said. I find tht both the uses r correct