Last Updated on October 5, 2021
What is Irony? To help you understand what this literary device is and how it is used, this article provides detailed guidance on definitions and examples of Irony, and how it can be used in a sentence.
Table of Contents
Meaning of Irony
Irony is a figure of speech and one of the most widely- known literary devices, which is used to express a strong emotion or raise a point. As defined, Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of what is actually said.
For example, a driver whose license was confiscated by a traffic officer may say “Thank you Officer, now that you have my license I can’t drive”
In this situation, the driver was mad and irritated at what happened. But instead of directly expressing his anger, the driver used Irony i.e. thanking the officer for getting his license.
Irony is often used for critical or humorous effect in literature, music, art, and film (or a lesson). In conversation, people often use verbal irony to express humor, affection, or emotion, by saying the opposite of what they mean to somebody who is expected to recognize the irony. “I hate you” can mean “I love you”—but only if the person you’re saying it to already knows that! This definition is, of course, related to the first one (as we expect people’s words to reflect their meaning) and in most cases, it can be considered a form of sarcasm.
Different Types and Examples of Irony
There are three types of irony. They are:
- Verbal Irony
- Situational Irony
- Dramatic Irony
Verbal Irony
It is the use of words to present a meaning that is different from what the speaker says. Almost all the time, the person intentionally and knowingly uses Verbal Irony to be understood as meaning something different to what his or her words’ literal meaning.
READ ALSO: Top 100 Examples of Hyperbole You Should Know
Verbal Irony is the easiest to identify among the three types. It is also the most commonly used. Our previous example is a kind of Verbal Irony. When the driver thanked the traffic officer, he wanted his words to mean that he was not amused at all.
Other examples are:
- After looking at a student’s poor test score, the teacher says, “You will surely finish the year with highest honors”.
- A man tastes his wife’s delicious home- cooked meal and exclaims, “I shall never eat this food ever again”.
- After they kissed, the groom, with a smile on his face, muttered to his bride, “This is the day I will always want to forget”.
Situational Irony
Situational Irony happens when what is expected and intended to happen doesn’t take place. Instead, the exact opposite occurs. The result could be either serious or comic.
This type of Irony is used adds more meaning to a situation making it more interesting and thought- provoking.
For example, a man whose house was in the woods put a booby trap to protect him from wild animals. One night, while walking, the man didn’t see the trap. He injured himself.
The booby trap was intended to protect the man but it wounded him instead. This is exactly the contrary of what was expected.
Examples are:
- Johnson smokes a pack of cigarettes a day.
- Our boss, the owner of a big construction firm, cannot fix his house’s broken ceiling.
- The defense lawyer failed to acquit his son in a case.
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic Irony happens when the audience or readers are aware of something, which the character of a movie or story does not know.
Oftentimes, such character acts or moves in a way, which is contrary or different from what the audience or the readers expect him or her to do.
SEE ALSO: Top 100 Examples of Metaphor You Should Know
This type of Irony creates intense feelings such as humor and suspense.
Dramatic Irony is used to convey emotions more intently. It gives the audience or readers a sense of thrill and excitement.
In a horror movie for example, the character enters a dark room while hearing a woman’s voice. The audiences don’t get scared because they knew beforehand that the woman’s voice was just that of the character’s mother.
Other examples include:
- In “Saving Private Ryan”, the group of soldiers were hopeless they could find Private James Ryan alive, but the audience knew from the start that Private Ryan went on to live until his later years.
- The wife believed that her husband died in an airplane crash and but the audience was aware that the husband had survived.
- Readers knew that Caitlyn’s character in the novel “A Song for Caitlin” would eventually die but the other characters never even knew she was sick.
Irony can be a wonderful literary tool to bring layers and texture to tales of tragedy, comedy or love. No one wants a story to be predictable and irony is anything but that. Especially if you are a fiction writer, don’t be afraid to keep your readers guessing. When you use irony in your work, readers just may become so engaged that they’ll want to take additional journeys with you in your future.
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