irony
UK[ˈaɪ.rə.ni]US[ˈaɪ.rə.ni]
n
a situation in which something which was intended to have a particular result has the opposite or a very different result.
n
the use of words that say the opposite of what you really mean, often as a joke or to show that you are annoyed.
Etymology
the word 'irony' entered english in the early 16th century via latin 'ironia', which itself was borrowed from ancient greek 'eirōneía', meaning 'dissimulation' or 'feigned ignorance'. the greek term is derived from 'eírōn', a stock character in ancient comedy who pretended to be less intelligent than he was, thereby deceiving the arrogant braggart. this concept of simulated ignorance evolved through latin and french, shifting from a rhetorical device of feigned ignorance to its modern, broader senses encompassing situational incongruity and sarcastic speech. the journey from a specific theatrical character trait to an abstract principle of contradiction encapsulates the word's logical development.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword from latin via french. its spelling and form have been fully anglicized, making internal morphemes from the source language (e.g., the greek suffix '-eia') no longer directly identifiable or segmentable within the modern english spelling 'irony'.
Examples
the irony is that the safety inspector's own home failed the fire code inspection.
she said, with heavy irony, "oh, what a wonderful surprise," when she saw the mess in the kitchen.
the ultimate irony was that he made a fortune selling books after famously dropping out of school.