ironic

See also: irònic

English

Alternative forms

• ironick (obsolete, rare)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin īrōnicus, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνικός (eirōnikós). Compare Middle French, ironique, equivalent to irony +‎ -ic.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /aɪˈɹɒn.ɪk/

  • Audio (London):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /aɪˈɹɑ.nɪk/

  • Audio (Maryland):

    (file)

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /aɪˈɹɒn.ɪk/, /aɪˈɹɑ.nɪk/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ɑɪˈɹɔn.ɪk/

  • Audio (Brisbane):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒnɪk

Adjective

ironic (comparative more ironic, superlative most ironic)

An unintentionally ironic protest sign

1. (Of a situation) Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.

   It's somewhat ironic to have a wave of smog right on Earth Day.

   • 2014, Steven Pinker, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century!, page 275:

     It was ironic I forgot my textbook on human memory.

   • 2009 October 29, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Mr Stink, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

     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.

   1. (proscribed) Odd or coincidental; strange.

      It's ironic that we are eating a sandwich in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

2. (preceded with "being") Acting in an unserious and teasing manner.

   Don't take it personally. We're just being ironic.

3. (Of a statement, action, etc.) Done in an insincere and mocking manner; satirical.

   You should assume that everything this guy posts is ironic.

Usage notes

Some writers complain about an overuse of the word ironic to extend to situations which are remarkable for reasons other than irony - perhaps just coincidental or merely odd.

Synonyms

• ironical

Derived terms

• ironical
• ironic error
• ironic process theory
• postironic
• unironic

 

Related terms

• dramatic irony
• Socratic irony

 

Translations

characterized by irony

• Afrikaans: ironies
• Belarusian: ірані́чны (iraníčny)
• Bulgarian: ирони́чен (bg) (ironíčen), подиграва́телен (bg) (podigravátelen)
• Catalan: irònic (ca)
• Czech: ironický (cs)
• Danish: ironisk
• Dutch: ironisch (nl)
• Esperanto: ironia (eo)
• Finnish: ironinen (fi)
• French: ironique (fr)
• German: ironisch (de)
• Greek: ειρωνικός (el) (eironikós)
• Hebrew: אִירוֹנִי (iróni)
• Italian: ironico (it), sarcastico (it)
• Japanese: 風刺的な (ふうしてきな, fūshiteki na)
• Korean: 아이러니하다 (ko) (aireonihada)
• Latin: ironicus
• Macedonian: ироничен (ironičen)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: ironisk

• Occitan: ironic (oc)
• Polish: ironiczny (pl)
• Portuguese: irónico (pt) (Portugal), irônico (pt) (Brazil)
• Romanian: ironic (ro)
• Russian: ирони́ческий (ru) (ironíčeskij), ирони́чный (ru) (ironíčnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: иро̀ничан

  Roman: iròničan (sh)

• Slovak: ironický
• Slovene: ironičen (sl)
• Spanish: irónico (es)
• Swedish: ironisk (sv)
• Ukrainian: іроні́чний (ironíčnyj)

See also

• Irony on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Cirino, oniric

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French ironique, from Late Latin īrōnicus, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνικός (eirōnikós). By surface analysis, ironie +‎ -ic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [iˈro.nik]

Adjective

ironic m or n (feminine singular ironică, masculine plural ironici, feminine and neuter plural ironice)

1. ironic

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	ironic		ironică		ironici	ironice
	definite	ironicul		ironica		ironicii	ironicele
genitive- dative	indefinite	ironic		ironice		ironici	ironice
	definite	ironicului		ironicei		ironicelor	ironicilor

Related terms

• ironie