What is a simple definition for irony?

Definition of irony 1a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning. b : a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony.

What is the definition of irony and examples?

a situation in which something which was intended to have a particular result has the opposite or a very different result: The irony (of it) is that the new tax system will burden those it was intended to help. More examples. With inevitable irony, it was Smith who scored the winning goal against his former team.

How do you explain irony in an essay?

In general, you can think of irony as occurring when an outcome undermines someone’s expectations. Verbal irony happens when conversational expectations are undermined. When another person listens to you speak, he usually assumes you’re saying what you mean.

How do you determine irony?

See if there is incongruity between action and structure in a drama or film, or a text like a poem or narrative.

  1. If it is occurring in a dramatic or filmic text, then it is dramatic irony.
  2. If it is occurring in a novel, poem, or narrative text, then it is structural irony.

What is an example of a literary irony?

For example, in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, we the readers know that Juliet has taken a sleeping potion to fake her death, but this is unbeknownst to Romeo, who believes she is really dead and proceeds to actually kill himself. Dramatic irony fills readers with anticipation and heightens their interest.

Which statement is an example of irony?

A child runs away from someone throwing a water balloon at him and falls into the pool. This is ironic because the child ends up wetter than he would have been, thwarting his expectations of what would happen when he ran away from the water balloon.

How do you explain irony to a kid?

Irony is when something happens that is opposite from what is expected. It can often be funny, but it is also used in tragedies. There are many types of irony, including those listed below: Dramatic irony, when the audience knows something is going to happen on stage that the characters on stage do not.