irony

(noun)

A statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, notably as a form of humor.

Related Terms

Examples of irony in the following topics:

  • Using Humor

    • Two common rhetorical devices used to convey special meaning to an audience are irony and metaphor.
    • The use of irony in rhetoric is primarily to convey an incongruity, often used in humor to deprecate or ridicule an idea or course of action.

  • It's not just big business

    • The irony is that environmental groups have been lobbying for such changes for years yet their efforts obtained fruition only after the local business community jumped on board.

  • Introduction to Sustainability as an Objective

    • Yet too many business schools (and businesses) fail to see a similar sense of irony when they announce that they're ‘going green' – with the result that their efforts end up looking like nothing more than a misplaced marketing exercise.

  • The illusion of control

    • Although research shows that satisfying the human need for control can create a powerful sense of purpose and direction, the irony is that too much control can generate problems.

  • Additional examples

    • The irony is that although California's energy prices are the highest in the United States, its citizens pay the country's lowest energy bills thanks to increasing laws like these that outlaw inefficiencies.

  • How a business can save water

    • The irony is that recycled water from sinks, showers, production processes, washing machines and drinking fountains (also known as ‘grey water') can often be used in place of tap water.