definitions

tragic irony

noun

dramatic irony in tragic drama.

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Nearby words

tragedize, tragedy, tragic, tragic flaw, tragic hero, tragic irony, tragicomedy, tragion, tragopan, tragus, traherne

Origin of tragic irony

First recorded in 1825–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for tragic irony

tragic irony

noun

the use of dramatic irony in a tragedy (originally, in Greek tragedy), so that the audience is aware that a character's words or actions will bring about a tragic or fatal result, while the character himself is not
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012