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# ironic

adjective (ironic, more ironic)

«ironic» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Strange or funny because it is the opposite of what you would expect, as in «It's ironic that the fire station burned down». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#m1)
2. Saying the opposite of what you mean as a joke, as in an ironic «Great weather!» when it rains. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#m2)

### In the lessons

In English lessons: irony in stories and poems — the reader knows something characters don't (dramatic irony). In everyday talk: people say «ironic» for jokes that mean the opposite. It tells the reader there is a twist.

### Examples

- It's ironic that the swimming teacher can't swim. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#x1)
- «Lovely day,» he said in an ironic voice as it poured. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#x2)
- It was ironic that the alarm clock made him late. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#x3)
- Her ironic comment made us laugh. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#x4)
- The story ends in an ironic twist. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#x5)
- It's ironic that the «No Litter» sign was lying on the ground. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/#x6)

### Note

Noun: irony; adverb: ironically. Trap: «ironic» is not the same as just bad luck or a coincidence — it needs a twist against expectation. It has nothing to do with iron the metal.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ironic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ironic/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ironic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ironic.html) on Mova free.