Ironic Meaning
/aɪˈɹɒn.ɪk/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjCharacterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.
adjCharacterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony., Odd or coincidental; strange.
Sentence Examples
When people use the word "ironic", they may mean "comically incongruous".
I was being ironic.
CEFR Practice Quiz
It was ____ that the fire station burned down while the firefighters were out on a call.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is quite ____ that the man who spent his life studying fire safety lost his house in a large fire.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Late Latin īrōnicus, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνικός (eirōnikós). Compare Middle French, ironique, equivalent to irony + -ic.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It was ironic I forgot my textbook on human memory."
— 2014, Steven Pinker, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century!, page 275:
"Chloe had once seen a real-life goth hanging around by a garbage bin in the high street and become incredibly excited. She really wanted to go over and ask her how to get started in the goth world, but she was too shy. Which was ironic, since shyness is something you need if you want to be a successful goth."
— 2009 October 29, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Mr Stink, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:
"Here’s a tip: If a group of people start using something as ironic hate speech, it will eventually be used for unironic hate speech. Don’t act surprised."
— 2019 December 31, AJ Willingham, “All the trends we loved and hated in the 2010s”, in CNN:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
It was ____ that the fire station burned down while the firefighters were out on a call.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is quite ____ that the man who spent his life studying fire safety lost his house in a large fire.