dramatic irony

American  

[druh-mat-ik ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-nee] / drəˈmæt ɪk ˈaɪ rə ni, ˈaɪ ər ni /

noun

1. irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.

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dramatic irony British  

noun

1. theatre the irony occurring when the implications of a situation, speech, etc, are understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

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Etymology

Origin of dramatic irony

First recorded in 1905–10

Compare meaning

How does dramatic-irony compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• situational irony vs. dramatic irony

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dramatic irony

The guest spot gives Colbert an intriguing new chapter: as he transitions away from nightly hosting, he steps into fiction, satire and dramatic irony all at once.

From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2025

Still, there’s a bittersweet dramatic irony at play because the reader can recognize that Camille is, at least sometimes, yet another of Sailor’s tools.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2025

Plus, the missing feature being designed to delete things adds dramatic irony, as Android Central’s “Google magically erases Magic Eraser” headline pokes fun at.

From The Verge ● Nov. 12, 2021

There’s dramatic irony in the fact that he does not know Man was his Torquemada.

From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2021

Some love stories are tragedies—epics, spanning years, and built on dramatic irony, wars, Russian winters, and hours of film.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed