Incongruity vs. Irony — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Incongruity and Irony
ADVERTISEMENT
Compare with Definitions
Incongruity
Lack of congruence.
Irony
Irony (from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία eirōneía 'dissimulation, feigned ignorance'), in its broadest sense, is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or event in which what on the surface appears to be the case or to be expected differs radically from what is actually the case. Irony can be categorized into different types, including verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony.
Incongruity
The state or quality of being incongruous.
Irony
The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
Incongruity
Something incongruous.
ADVERTISEMENT
Irony
An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning
"the embodiment of the waspish don, from his Oxbridge tweeds to the bone-dry ironies of his speech and prose" (Ron Rosenbaum).
Incongruity
The state of being incongruous, or lacking congruence.
Irony
Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs
"Hyde noted the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated" (Richard Kain).
Incongruity
An instance or point of disagreement
Irony
An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity
The ironies of fate. See Usage Note at ironic.
Incongruity
A thing that is incongruous.
Irony
Dramatic irony.
Incongruity
The quality or state of being incongruous; lack of congruity; unsuitableness; inconsistency; impropriety.
The fathers make use of this acknowledgment of the incongruity of images to the Deity, from thence to prove the incongruity of the worship of them.
Irony
Socratic irony.
Incongruity
Disagreement of parts; lack of symmetry or of harmony.
Irony
(rhetoric) The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.
Incongruity
That which is incongruous; lack of congruity.
Irony
(countable) An ironic statement.
Incongruity
The quality of disagreeing; being unsuitable and inappropriate
Irony
Dramatic irony: a theatrical effect in which the meaning of a situation, or some incongruity in the plot, is understood by the audience, but not by the characters in the play.
Irony
Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
Irony
(informal){{cite-journal
Irony
Of or pertaining to the metal iron.
The food had an irony taste to it.
Irony
Made or consisting of iron; partaking of iron; iron; as, irony chains; irony particles; - In this sense iron is the more common term.
Irony
Resembling iron in taste, hardness, or other physical property.
Irony
Dissimulation; ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
Irony
A sort of humor, ridicule, or light sarcasm, which adopts a mode of speech the meaning of which is contrary to the literal sense of the words.
Irony
Witty language used to convey insults or scorn;
He used sarcasm to upset his opponent
Irony is wasted on the stupid
Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own
Irony
Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs;
The irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated
Irony
A trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Brilliant vs. ExceptionalNext Comparison
Condition vs. Criterion