Standard Lemma guide

ironic

adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /aɪˈɹɒn.ɪk/
  • London: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /aɪˈɹɑ.nɪk/
  • Maryland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: /aɪˈɹɒn.ɪk/
  • Canada: /aɪˈɹɑ.nɪk/
  • Australian: /ɑeˈɹɔn.ɪk/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /aɪˈɹɒn.ək/
  • New-Zealand: [ɑe̯ˈɹɔ̟n.ək]
  • rhymes with -ɒnɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: AY0 R AA1 N IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It's somewhat ironic to have a wave of smog right on Earth Day.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.

Odd or coincidental; strange.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: proscribed

Examples

  • It's ironic that we are eating a sandwich in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Acting in an unserious and teasing manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: preceded with "being"

Examples

  • Don't take it personally. We're just being ironic.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Done in an insincere and mocking manner; satirical.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: usually

Qualifier: action

Examples

  • You should assume that everything this guy posts is ironic.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • madness, an ironic fate for such a clear thinker
  • it was ironical that the well-planned scheme failed so completely

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ironical

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

humorously sarcastic or mocking

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • dry humor
  • an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely
  • an ironic novel
  • an ironical smile
  • with a wry Scottish wit

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dry, ironical, wry

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin īrōnicus, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνικός (eirōnikós). Compare Middle French, ironique, equivalent to irony + -ic.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: ironies — characterized by irony
  • Belarusian: ірані́чны (iraníčny) — characterized by irony
  • Bulgarian: ирони́чен (ironíčen) — characterized by irony
  • Bulgarian: подиграва́телен (podigravátelen) — characterized by irony
  • Catalan: irònic — characterized by irony
  • Czech: ironický — characterized by irony
  • Danish: ironisk — characterized by irony
  • Dutch: ironisch — characterized by irony
  • Esperanto: ironia — characterized by irony
  • Finnish: ironinen — characterized by irony
  • French: ironique — characterized by irony
  • German: ironisch — characterized by irony
  • Greek: ειρωνικός (eironikós) — characterized by irony
  • Hebrew: אִירוֹנִי (iróni) — characterized by irony
  • Irish: íorónta — characterized by irony
  • Italian: ironico — characterized by irony
  • Italian: sarcastico — characterized by irony
  • Japanese: 風刺的な (fūshiteki na) — characterized by irony
  • Korean: 아이러니하다 (aireonihada) — characterized by irony
  • Latin: ironicus — characterized by irony
  • Macedonian: ироничен (ironičen) — characterized by irony
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ironisk — characterized by irony
  • Occitan: ironic — characterized by irony
  • Polish: ironiczny — characterized by irony
  • Portuguese: irónico — characterized by irony
  • Portuguese: irônico — characterized by irony
  • Romanian: ironic — characterized by irony
  • Russian: ирони́ческий (ironíčeskij) — characterized by irony
  • Russian: ирони́чный (ironíčnyj) — characterized by irony
  • Serbo-Croatian: иро̀ничан — characterized by irony
  • Serbo-Croatian: iròničan — characterized by irony
  • Slovak: ironický — characterized by irony
  • Slovene: ironičen — characterized by irony
  • Spanish: irónico — characterized by irony
  • Swedish: ironisk — characterized by irony
  • Ukrainian: іроні́чний (ironíčnyj) — characterized by irony