How do you use the word "irony" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "irony": Tone of voice can indicate anger and irony. There was a touch of irony in his speech.

Irony Meaning

/ˈaɪə.ɹə.ni/

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

nounThe quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.

Sentence Examples

Tone of voice can indicate anger and irony.

There was a touch of irony in his speech.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

satire sarcasm

Antonyms:

None

CEFR Practice Quiz

The ____ of the situation was clear when the safety inspector fell down the stairs.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The ____ of the situation was not lost on the audience, who burst into loud laughter at his mistake.

Word Origin & History

Etymology tree Ancient Greek εἴρων (eírōn) Ancient Greek εἰρωνεύομαι (eirōneúomai) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek εἰρωνείᾱ (eirōneíā)der. Latin īrōnīader. Old French Middle French ironieder. English irony First attested in 1502. From Middle French ironie, from Old French, from Latin īrōnīa, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneía, “irony, pretext”), from εἴρων (eírōn, “one who feigns ignorance”).

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"Irony, saying what it ne'er intends, Censures with praise, and speaks to foes as friends." — 1835, L[arret] Langley, “[The Seven Tropes.] Irony.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 11:

"A principal virtue of Rorty's recognition of both the lightminded and the serious side of irony is to urge us in that direction." — 1994, David L. Hall, Richard Rorty: Prophet and Poet of the New Pragmatism, →ISBN, page 146:

"It is one of the ironies of capital cities that each acts as a symbol of its nation, and yet few are even remotely representative of it. London has always set itself apart from the rest of Britain — but political, economic and social trends are conspiring to drive that wedge deeper." — 2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, “London Is Special, but Not That Special”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 10 Oct 2021, retrieved 28 Sep 2013:

"The second irony is that the only American who intuitively or otherwise grasps this reality and possesses a large enough ego potentially capable of governing in these circumstances is the president." — 2025 September 8, Harlan Ullman, “Will America survive another 250 years?”, in The Hill:

"Thus in Cornwall, and many parts of Germany and France, in mineral districts, an irony appearance of a vein, where seen at the crop, is regarded as favourable." — 1860, William Somerville Orr, The Circle of the Sciences, page 269:

Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words