Irony is the use of words with a different or opposite sense of the most common meaning. It is a figure of speech that makes a humorous contradiction to what is meant.
Below are some examples of irony:
He ran as fast as a turtle
The turtle is an animal that walks slowly. By saying that a person ran as fast as a turtle, what is meant is that he walked very slowly or even that he did not run at all. This inverted comparison is ironic.
The soup was delicious: cold and without seasoning
If the soup that was served was unseasoned and cold, it is not possible that it was tasty. To say that a bad soup was delicious is to use irony to make a review like good mood.
I'm happy when she doesn't answer my calls
When you call someone, you want to talk on the phone. If the call is not answered, the caller cannot be satisfied. To say that you are happy with a situation you don't like is an irony.
He studied so much that he got zero on the test.
When a person studies a lot to take a test, the result is expected to be a good score. A grade of zero demonstrates that there was not enough study to achieve the grade. The contradiction between study and a bad grade is an irony.
Happiness is working hard and receiving little
The phrase makes clear the irony that refers to the desire to receive more for the work that is done. In this example of irony, which is called cosmic or infinite, there is a difference between what is desired and reality.
He had a great idea and ruined our trip.
This sentence highlights an idea that is wrong or contrary to what one would like to say, that is, if it were a good idea, it would not have ruined the trip. This is an example of antiphrase irony.
Read more about the meaning of Irony and Irony of fate.
