Irony Is Not the Same as Coincidence
Irony is a gap between what is said or expected and what is meant or happens. Bad luck alone does not qualify.
Irony is a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected and what occurs. The common complaint about misuse has a real basis: rain on your wedding day is bad luck, not irony, because nothing about a wedding promises sunshine. It becomes ironic if you moved the wedding indoors specifically to avoid rain and the roof then leaked. *Dramatic irony* is different again: the audience knows something the character does not.
- Saying the opposite. *Heavy irony.*
- A contrary outcome. *The irony of the situation.*
- Dramatic irony — the audience knows more. *Dramatic irony.*
- Ironic — marked by irony. *An ironic smile.*
- Sarcasm — irony intended to wound. *Cutting sarcasm.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | irony | Bitter irony. |
| Plural | ironies | The ironies of it. |
| Adjective | ironic | An ironic twist. |
| Adverb | ironically | Ironically enough. |
| Greek | eironeia | Dissimulation. |
- The fire station burned down, which is genuine irony.Situational.
- "Lovely weather," he said in the downpour.Verbal.
- The audience knows the letter never arrived.Dramatic.
Three kinds of irony
- Verbal irony — saying one thing and meaning the opposite
- Situational irony — an outcome that contradicts what was intended
- Dramatic irony — the audience knows what a character does not
- Sarcasm — verbal irony aimed at hurting someone
- Coincidence — not irony at all, however unlucky
Latin *ironia*, from Greek *eironeia*, dissimulation or feigned ignorance, from *eiron*, a dissembler in Greek comedy.
Is bad luck ironic?
Not by itself. Irony requires a contrast with what was intended or expected, not merely an unfortunate event.
What is dramatic irony?
When the audience knows something a character does not, so the character's words carry a meaning they cannot see.