Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which a speaker says one thing but means another. It comes in several forms and is used to bring humor to a situation, foreshadow events to come or introduce a sense of foreboding. Take a
look at these examples of verbal irony and see how many you could introduce into your daily dialogue. Verbal irony is used in a variety of circumstances. We may stumble upon it in general conversation, the media and in literature. Verbal irony often brings levity to a situation, exposes double entendres or pokes fun at a situation. Many people believe verbal irony to be synonymous with sarcasm, but sarcasm is only one of the common types of verbal irony. It appears in four basic forms:
Like the other major types of irony, verbal irony plays with the listener's expectations. You'll find examples of verbal irony everywhere, from children's movies to classic literature to everyday situations. Verbal Irony in Literature and the MediaWhenever a character says something that makes you smirk or chuckle, they're probably using verbal irony. It's the difference between what they're saying and what they mean that brings humor to a situation — even to a dark situation.
Everyday Verbal IronyYou don't have to be a world-class playwright or author to engage in a little bit of verbal irony. Let's take a look at a few more examples of verbal irony that could play out in everyday life.
Verbal Irony Makes Great BanterVerbal irony can serve to provide levity to a new situation, poke a little bit of fun, or even subtly foreshadow a very ironic future, such as Mr. Darcy’s case. This type of dialogue is another feather in your writing cap, so spread your wings and fly to newly formed ironic heights. While you’re there, check out some examples of situational irony. You can then contrast both concepts to these examples of dramatic irony. Why not explore a little more and see which form you’d like to include in your next short story or poem? What is an example of verbal irony?Sarcasm is when verbal irony is applied in a pointed way to emphasize something. For example, if person A touches person B's hair, person A may say “I love when you do that.” If context tells us they mean the opposite, then we can say they were being verbally ironic.
How do you identify verbal irony?The definition of verbal irony is a statement in which the speaker's words are incongruous with the speaker's intent. The speaker says one thing, but they really mean another, resulting in an ironic clash between their intended meaning and their literal words.
What is situational irony in a story?Situational irony is the irony of something happening that is very different to what was expected. Some everyday examples of situational irony are a fire station burning down, or someone posting on Twitter that social media is a waste of time.
What are the four types of verbal irony?Within this verbal irony general definition, there are 4 types of verbal irony:. Sarcasm.. Understatement.. Overstatement.. Socratic irony.. |