ironical
English
Etymology
From ironic + -al. Attested since the 1570s.[1]
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /aɪˈɹɒnɪkəl/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /aɪˈɹɑnɪkəl/
Adjective
ironical (comparative more ironical, superlative most ironical)
- Characterized by or constituting (any kind of) irony.
- 2022 August 9, Ayo Edebiri & Shana Gohd, “Private School” (22:02 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows[1], season 4, episode 5, spoken by Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak):
- “So, ultimately, I realized I have been completely ruining my life and my face. What is ironical is that I was only doing this to make myself look better for my wife Marwa. This was for her, not for me.”
- Given to the use of irony; sarcastic.
- 1913 January–May, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Gods of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter III, in The Gods of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., September 1918, →OCLC, page 40:
- His tone was cold and ironical; its bitterness but reflecting the terrible disappointment he had suffered.
- (obsolete) Feigning ignorance; simulating lack of instruction or knowledge; exhibiting Socratic irony.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
given to the use of irony, sarcasm
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Translations to be checked
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References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “ironic”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “ironical”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
- “ironical”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.