what does 'ironic' mean?

Question

it has been bugging me for weeks wondering what it means!

Answer 1

Ironic means that the opposite of what you expect happens.

Answer 2

There are two meenings of irony, but one of them may lead to a misunderstanding because it is commonly confused with its more common meening.
Meening 1, Lets take Michael Jackson. Although he has had his skin bleached etc. etc., we would say its IRONIC that in his song Black Or White (featuring Culkin) he even says: "doesn't matter if your black or white!"-so in this context irony is a term used suggesting that its strange that exactly the opposite happens with something or someone. Another example: Your not afraid of dying in an air crash, and then next week you are no longer alive due to engine failure on flight 1234. Isn't it ironic? Understand?
Meening 2, The less common meening, is basically a weaker form of sarcasm. People use this when someone, well, you probably know what sarcasm is, so, irony or being ironic is a jokier version of it; when you don't intend to hurt the person unlike sarcasm, where evil is involved

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

This quote by Comedian Chris Rock pretty much sums up what irony is: "You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy,the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named Bush, Dick, and Colon."

Answer 4

It's a vast difference between what is expected to happen and what actually happens, usually with comical results

eg A weather man predicting a sunny day and then getting caught wearing shorts in a hailstorm.
Or A world champion boxer running in the morning and slipping on ice knocking himself out.
etc etc

Answer 5

It can mean: contradictory; inconsistent; or sarcastic. Eg. Isn't it ironic that people from the developed world will bin leftover food, while others around the globe continue to starve?

Answer 6

Coincidently or unexpectedly is the context I use it in the most.

This link gives the meanings and sample sentences to give you a better understanding of the word.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ironic

Answer 7

Ironic
traffic jam when you're already late,
A no smoking sign, on your cigarette brake,
it's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
it's like meeting the man of your dreams,and then meeting his beautiful wife.
that's ironic
It's like rain, on your wedding day
it's a free ride, when you've already paid,
it's the good advice that you just can't take

Answer 8

Its Ironic you should say that, i was having the same thoughts myself....lol

Answer 9

One example of ironic would be that your name was Lee and you were asking this question and that I of all the people in the world would be the one to answer.The irony would be that we both had the same names.

Answer 10

i·ro·ny (ī'rə-nē, ī'ər-)
n., pl. -nies.

The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect. See synonyms at wit1.

Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs: “Hyde noted the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated” (Richard Kain).
An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity. See Usage Note at ironic.
Dramatic irony.
Socratic irony.
[French ironie, from Old French, from Latin īrōnīa, from Greek eirōneia, feigned ignorance, from eirōn, dissembler, probably from eirein, to say.]