IRONY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for IRONY?

Need another word that means the same as “irony”? Find 14 synonyms and 30 related words for “irony” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Irony” are: caustic remark, sarcasm, satire, dryness, sharpness, acerbity, acid, bitterness, trenchancy, cynicism, paradox, incongruity, incongruousness, peculiarity

Irony as a Noun

Definitions of "Irony" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “irony” as a noun can have the following definitions:

  • Witty language used to convey insults or scorn–Jonathan Swif.
  • Witty language used to convey insults or scorn.
  • A trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs.
  • A literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.
  • Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.
  • A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result.
  • The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Synonyms of "Irony" as a noun (14 Words)

acerbitySharpness and directness in speech.
Exuberance sharpened by blunt wit and acerbity.
acidStreet name for lysergic acid diethylamide.
She was unable to quell the acid in her voice.
bitternessSharpness of taste; lack of sweetness.
The lime juice imparts a slight bitterness.
caustic remarkAny chemical substance that burns or destroys living tissue.
cynicismAn inclination to question whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile; pessimism.
Public cynicism about politics.
drynessModeration in or abstinence from alcohol or other drugs.
There s a lovely dryness to this straw coloured wine.
incongruityThe state of being incongruous; incompatibility.
The incongruity of his fleshy face and skinny body disturbed her.
incongruousnessThe quality of disagreeing; being unsuitable and inappropriate.
paradoxA seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true.
The liar paradox.
peculiarityA strange or unusual feature or habit.
The peculiarity of their upbringing.
sarcasmWitty language used to convey insults or scorn.
She didn t like the note of sarcasm in his voice.
satireA play novel film or other work which uses satire.
A stinging satire on American politics.
sharpnessA quick and penetrating intelligence.
The sweet flavour contrasts with the sharpness of the lemon.
trenchancyVigorousness or incisiveness in expression or style.
She opines with characteristic trenchancy.

Usage Examples of "Irony" as a noun

  • ‘Don't go overboard with the gratitude,’ he rejoined with heavy irony.
  • The irony is that I thought he could help me.
  • One of life's little ironies.
  • The irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated.
  • Irony is wasted on the stupid.

Associations of "Irony" (30 Words)

antinomyA contradiction between two beliefs or conclusions that are in themselves reasonable; a paradox.
There are not many short novels capable of accommodating bewildering antinomies.
burlesqueRelating to or characteristic of a burlesque.
A novel which is a burlesque of the literary life.
charadeA word acted out in an episode of the game of charades.
Talk of unity was nothing more than a charade.
comedyThe style or genre represented by comedy films plays and broadcast programmes.
Advertising people see the comedy in their work.
conflictingIn disagreement.
There are conflicting accounts of what occurred.
contradictionOpposition between two conflicting forces or ideas.
The experiment provides a contradiction of the hypothesis.
contradictoryA contradictory proposition.
The two studies came to contradictory conclusions.
cynicismAn inclination to question whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile; pessimism.
Cynicism about the future.
derisionContemptuous ridicule or mockery.
My stories were greeted with derision and disbelief.
discrepantNot in accord.
The reasons for these discrepant results are unclear.
hypercriticalExcessively and unreasonably critical, especially of small faults.
He was a sarcastic hypercritical man.
inconsistentNot in agreement.
The quality of the material was often inconsistent.
irreverenceA lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.
An attitude of irreverence towards politicians.
lampoonA speech or text lampooning someone or something.
The actor was lampooned by the press.
mockThe act of mocking or ridiculing.
They made a mock of him.
mockeryA composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody’s style, usually in a humorous way.
After a mockery of a trial in London he was executed.
oxymoronA figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true).
paradoxA statement or proposition which, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems logically unacceptable or self-contradictory.
I always lie is a paradox because if it is true it must be false.
paradoxicalSeemingly contradictory but nonetheless possibly true.
By glorifying the acts of violence they achieve the paradoxical effect of making them trivial.
parodyMake a parody of.
His speciality was parodying schoolgirl fiction.
ridiculeSubject to laughter or ridicule.
The satirists ridiculed the plans for a new opera house.
sarcasmWitty language used to convey insults or scorn–Jonathan Swif.
He used sarcasm to upset his opponent.
sarcasticExpressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds.
I think they re being sarcastic.
satireA genre of literature characterized by the use of satire.
A number of articles on Elizabethan satire.
satiricExposing human folly to ridicule.
A persistent campaign of mockery by the satirical fortnightly magazine.
satiricalSarcastic, critical, and mocking another’s weaknesses.
A New York based satirical magazine.
satirizeDeride and criticize by means of satire.
The writer satirized the politician s proposal.
spoofImitate (something) while exaggerating its characteristic features for comic effect.
A Robin Hood spoof.
travestyMake a travesty of.
Michael has betrayed the family by travestying them in his plays.

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