Irony vs. Antithesis — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Irony and Antithesis
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Compare with Definitions
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.
Antithesis
Antithesis (Greek for "setting opposite", from ἀντί "against" and θέσις "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together for contrasting effect. This is based on the logical phrase or term.Antithesis can be defined as "a figure of speech involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced grammatical structure.
Irony
The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
Antithesis
Direct contrast; opposition.
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).
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Antithesis
The direct or exact opposite
Hope is the antithesis of despair.
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).
Antithesis
A figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in a balanced or parallel phrase or grammatical structure, as in "Hee for God only, shee for God in him" (John Milton).
Irony
An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity
The ironies of fate. See Usage Note at ironic.
Antithesis
The second and contrasting part of such a juxtaposition.
Irony
Dramatic irony.
Antithesis
The second stage of the Hegelian dialectic process, representing the opposite of the thesis.
Irony
Socratic irony.
Antithesis
A proposition that is the diametric opposite of some other proposition.
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.
Antithesis
(rhetoric) A device by which two contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in parallel form; a figure of speech arranged in this manner
Irony
(countable) An ironic statement.
Antithesis
An opposition or contrast of words or sentiments occurring in the same sentence; as, "The prodigal robs his heir; the miser robs himself." "He had covertly shot at Cromwell; he how openly aimed at the Queen."
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.
Antithesis
The second of two clauses forming an antithesis.
Irony
Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
Antithesis
Opposition; contrast.
Irony
(informal){{cite-journal
Antithesis
Exact opposite;
His theory is the antithesis of mine
Irony
Of or pertaining to the metal iron.
The food had an irony taste to it.
Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance
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
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