ironic
Americanadjective
-
using words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning; containing or exemplifying irony.
an ironic novel; an ironic remark.
-
of, relating to, or tending to use irony or mockery; ironical.
-
coincidental; unexpected.
It was ironic that I was seated next to my ex-husband at the dinner.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- ironicalness noun
- nonironic adjective
- semi-ironic adjective
Etymology
Origin of ironic
First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin īrōnicus, from Greek eirōnikós “dissembling, insincere;” irony 1, -ic
Explanation
If something is ironic it's unexpected, often in an amusing way. If you're the world chess champion, it would be pretty ironic if you lost a match to someone who just learned to play yesterday. Ironic is the adjective for the noun irony. In contemporary speech, when we call something ironic, we often mean sarcastic. If you spill coffee all over drawings you've been working on all morning, you might ironically tell your coworker, "I've done something wonderful!" An ironic outcome is the opposite of what's intended. Having someone splash mud on you is always annoying, but it would be ironic if they had splashed you because they were running up to wipe dirt off you.
Vocabulary lists containing ironic
The Giver
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The Catcher in the Rye
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This Week in Words: October 28 - November 2, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Which is why Thatcher’s remark was so ironic: Games aren’t the moral equivalent of war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
We can see Houghton’s play in these moments, but then Alloway’s cheeky pop sensibility intervenes, the arch artificiality and ironic tone draining the emotional impact.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
As Mr. McGurn observes, it’s ironic that Pope Leo, previously an Augustinian friar, disregards the seminal work on just-war philosophy by his order’s namesake.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
It is perhaps ironic that Sutton and Scholes have criticised Arsenal's style of play given they played for the two title-winning sides that previously relied most on set pieces to score.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
At first I wondered if that was because I didn't know the meaning of ironic.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
