ironical

American  

[ahy-ron-i-kuhl] / aɪˈrɒn ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to, of the nature of, exhibiting, or characterized by irony or mockery: an ironical smile.

   an ironical compliment;

   an ironical smile.

   Synonyms:

   sardonic, sarcastic

2. using or prone to irony.

   an ironical speaker.

   Synonyms:

   sardonic, sarcastic

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Other Word Forms

• ironically
  adverb
• ironicalness
  noun
• nonironical
  adjective
• nonironicalness
  noun
• semi-ironical
  adjective
• unironical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ironical

First recorded in 1570–80; ironic + -al ¹

Explanation

Something that's ironical is wryly funny, especially because it doesn't match up with your expectations. It would be ironical to name your enormous Great Dane "Tiny." You can describe this kind of humor, situation, or literary device as either ironical or ironic — in the US it's more common to use the latter. A famously ironical passage from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" goes like this: "Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” In other words, it's ironical that despite being surrounded by water, the mariner is thirsty. The word comes from the Greek eironikos, "putting on a feigned ignorance."

Example Sentences

Knight has taken the novel’s Gothic elements and smeared them over whatever was light or comical or ironical in the original.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2023

Katia, birdlike and ironical, kept track of the data and took the still photographs, while Maurice, who resembles a curly-headed lion cub, gave public lectures and wielded the movie camera.

From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2022

“A talent for self-realisation” hints at the language of the “how-to” guide, and yet it’s not overtly ironical.

From The Guardian • Jul. 31, 2017

This pessimism was also hinted at in Monday night’s gala presentation: “Harmony and understanding / Sympathy and trust abounding” never rang more ironical.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 7, 2017

She stood before him very upright, with a smile on her face that looked faintly ironical, as though she were wondering why he was so slow to act.

From "1984" by George Orwell