ironic
Americanadjective
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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
Etymology
Origin of ironic
First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin īrōnicus, from Greek eirōnikós “dissembling, insincere;” see 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.
As historian Joseph Ellis records of the Framers: “It is richly ironic that one of the few original intentions they all shared was opposition to any judicial doctrine of ‘original intent.’
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
The ironic conclusion is that the moving average was effective — on paper — only so long as it was nearly impossible to actually follow it in the real world.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Mr. Mason has gently ironic fun with it all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
After three replacement surgeries, she said, "I assumed my difficulty walking was simply an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process."
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
In all jazz, and especially in the blues, there is something tart and ironic, authoritative and double-edged.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
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.
