ironic
adjective
using words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning; containing or exemplifying irony.
semi-ironic
-
a word derived from
ironic.
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.
Whether it’s a semi-ironic obsession with artisanal cheese-making, a random passion for sitar music or a stubborn preference for a flip phone, there are many wonderful contradictions about humans that algorithms can’t quite pin down.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2025
Around 2020 an ongoing groundswell of semi-ironic Dan appreciation became a full-fledged revival — at least online, which in 2020 was technically where most things took place.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2023
The landscape The Dirt existed in was marked by a snarky, semi-ironic nostalgia for rock stars and “rock star behavior,” spanning roughly 1998 to 2007.
From Slate ● Mar. 22, 2019
Lumber sexuality – an urban lifestyle characterised by a back-to-nature romanticism of facial hair, flannel shirts and semi-ironic appropriation of hyper-masculine tropes – has become the new normal.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 16, 2015
There was a portrait of the illustrious Concepcion, together with some sympathetic remarks about her, remarks conceived very differently from the usual semi-ironic, semi-worshipping journalistic references to the stars of Concepcion's set.
From The Pretty Lady by Arnold Bennett
