ironic

adjective
UK: /aɪˈrɒn.ɪk/
US: /aɪˈrɑː.nɪk/

  1. Using words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning, often to be funny.

    1. His ironic tone made it hard to understand what he really thinks. [ ] [ ]
    2. It's ironic that the fire station burned down because of a faulty alarm system. [ ] [ ]

  2. Describing a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems opposite to what you expected.

    1. It is ironic that he got lost on the way to the map reading class. [ ] [ ]
    2. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that I spent so much time preparing and nobody came. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

sarcastic wry paradoxical

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "ironic" in English means: Using words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning, often to be funny., Describing a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems opposite to what you expected..

The phonetic transcription of "ironic" is /aɪˈrɒn.ɪk/ in British English and /aɪˈrɑː.nɪk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "ironic": sarcastic, wry, paradoxical.

Example usage of "ironic": "His ironic tone made it hard to understand what he really thinks.". More examples on the page.