irony, satire, sarcasm

irony, satire, sarcasm
Each of these words indicates ridicule, contempt, or mockery of someone or something. Irony is a figure of speech in which the literal (exact, denotative) meaning of a word or statement is the opposite of that intended. Cicero defined irony as "the saying of one thing and meaning another." A person uses irony when, on a miserable day, he says "Nice day today, isn't it?" Considered the most ironic writing in all literature is Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal, in which the author "recommends" that the Irish sell their babies to English landlords for food. Satire is the ridiculing of stupidity, vice, or folly; it often employs irony and sarcasm to denounce the frailties and faults of mankind. Satire blends wit and humor with a critical attitude toward human activities and institutions. An attack on man's overconsumption of electricity and fuel would be a satire (satirical treatment) of man's folly in exhausting his supplies of energy. Sarcasm is a form of irony that consists of bitter and often cruel derision. Sarcasm is always personal, always jeering, and always intended to wound: "What a great friend you turned out to be! " "You couldn't tell the truth to save your life! "

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • irony — i•ro•ny [[t]ˈaɪ rə ni, ˈaɪ ər [/t]] n. pl. nies 1) cvb the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning 2) rht Socratic irony 3) lit. dramatic irony 4) an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been …   From formal English to slang

  • sarcasm — See irony, satire, sarcasm See sarcasm, satire …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • satire — See irony, satire, sarcasm See sarcasm, satire …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • irony — See irony, satire, sarcasm …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • irony — *wit, satire, sarcasm, humor, repartee …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • irony — [n] sarcasm banter, burlesque, contempt, contrariness, criticism, derision, humor, incongruity, jibe, mockery, mordancy, paradox, quip, raillery, repartee, reproach, ridicule, sardonicism, satire, taunt, twist, wit; concepts 230,278 Ant.… …   New thesaurus

  • Irony — Ironic redirects here. For the song, see Ironic (song). For other uses, see irony (disambiguation). A Stop sign ironically defaced with a beseechment not to deface stop signs Irony (from the Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία eirōneía, meaning dissimulation… …   Wikipedia

  • irony — irony1 /uy reuh nee, uy euhr /, n., pl. ironies. 1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, How nice! when I said I had to work all weekend. 2. Literature. a. a technique of… …   Universalium

  • Satire — This article is about the genre. For the mythological creature, see satyr. Satires redirects here. For other uses, see Satires (disambiguation). 1867 edition of Punch, a ground breaking British magazine of popular humour, including a great deal… …   Wikipedia

  • irony — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. ridicule, satire, sarcasm. See figurative. II (Roget s IV) n. Syn. sarcasm, wit, humor, paradox, incongruity, double meaning, twist, absurdity, ridicule, raillery, mockery, burlesque, parody, quip,… …   English dictionary for students

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