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.
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of, relating to, or tending to use irony or mockery; ironical.
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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.
"There have been reports of collisions and injuries. I saw one a few days ago where somebody had been struck by one of the robots' safety flags, which is a little ironic," he says.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
It would be ironic indeed if the Metcalfe’s Law model were to help bitcoin come full circle to what its supporters originally intended it to be.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Although the logo is meant to be subversive and ironic, Tampa fans took it as a cue and started to chant “USA! USA!”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
His father was a teacher who possessed a sarcastic and ironic sense of humor that he passed down to both Ittai and his brother, Kim.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Poirot nods, and offers what I think is an ironic smile, but a squirrelly voice in my head tells me it’s sinister.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
