/ aɪˈrɒnɪk; NAmE -ˈrɑːn-/ (also less frequent iron·ic·al / aɪˈrɒnɪkl; NAmE -ˈrɑːn-/) adjective
1.
showing that you really mean the opposite of what you are saying; expressing
irony :
an ironic comment
2.
( of a situation ) strange or amusing because it is very different from what you expect :
It's ironic that she became a teacher—she used to hate school.
—see also irony
► iron·ic·al·ly / aɪˈrɒnɪkli; NAmE -ˈrɑːn-/ adverb :
Ironically, the book she felt was her worst sold more copies than any of her others.
He smiled ironically.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from French ironique or late Latin ironicus , from Greek eirōnikos dissembling, feigning ignorance, from eirōneia simulated ignorance, from eirōn dissembler.