ironically

[ahy-ron-ik-lee]

adverb

1. in a way that uses words to mean the opposite of what they normally mean, or makes an obvious exaggeration or understatement, as a joke or in order to make a point.

   French author Voltaire ironically commented on war, “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”

2. in a way that is the opposite of what would be expected, often as a remarkable coincidence.

   Ironically, one of the main messages of this text on warfare is how to avoid battle through meticulous preparation and planning.

Other Word Forms

• nonironically adverb
• semi-ironically adverb
• unironically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ironically¹

First recorded in 1530–40; ironical ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

But it's only in the last year that it has taken off online, whether it be a motivational video for gains in the gym or ironically in a meme about a lazy cat.

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The show, which first aired just four months after Friends ended, saw Joey move to Los Angeles, where, ironically, his new sitcom was cancelled, forcing him to move in with family.

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"In Brazil, ironically, it was Oscar who got a penalty for nudging Antonelli, but at least he went for it."

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Only now is it coming back to life—ironically, to power AI.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But curiously, and perhaps ironically, his range of interests, though in fact reprising venerable leftwing sympathies, may also chime with the sort of conservatism that values settled skills and customs—a settled pace of life.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• amusingly www.thesaurus.com
• jokingly www.thesaurus.com