THE WORDCRAFT DEFINITION DICTIONARY
ironic
adjective
Expressing a meaning different from the literal words, or involving a striking contrast with expectation.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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Examples in context
Her complaint about wordiness was ironic because it filled six pages.
The next draft used hyperbole when Nia wrote that the final drumbeat could have shaken every window in the city. Her line about the hour-long queue carried sarcasm: she called the unexplained wait a glorious achievement in hospitality. That praise was ironic because the intended judgment differed sharply from the approving words.
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Related meanings
Related words can differ in tone and context; they are not always interchangeable.
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This entry is part of the vocabulary collection supplied by GlobalRPh. Definitions are concise study meanings. Examples combine original teaching sentences with selected passages adapted from the supplied study notes; their source is labeled beside each example. A word may have additional specialized or historical senses.
Adapted from supplied vocabulary notes. Example written for WordCraft.
Source study sections: 11, 17, 18.
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