Irony vs. Parody — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Irony and Parody
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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.
Parody
A parody, also called a spoof, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or make fun of its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subject is an original work or some aspect of it — theme/content, author, style, etc.
Irony
The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
Parody
A literary or artistic work that uses imitation, as of the characteristic style of an author or a work, for comic effect or ridicule.
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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Parody
A genre, as in literature, comprising such works.
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).
Parody
Something so bad as to be equivalent to intentional mockery; a travesty
The trial was a parody of justice.
Irony
An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity
The ironies of fate. See Usage Note at ironic.
Parody
(Music) The practice of reworking an already established composition, especially the incorporation into the Mass of material borrowed from other works, such as motets or madrigals.
Irony
Dramatic irony.
Parody
To make a parody of.
Irony
Socratic irony.
Parody
A work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony.
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.
Parody
A popular maxim, adage, or proverb.
Irony
(countable) An ironic statement.
Parody
To make a parody of something.
The comedy movie parodied the entire Western genre.
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.
Parody
A writing in which the language or sentiment of an author is mimicked; especially, a kind of literary pleasantry, in which what is written on one subject is altered, and applied to another by way of burlesque; travesty.
The lively parody which he wrote . . . on Dryden's "Hind and Panther" was received with great applause.
Irony
Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
Parody
A popular maxim, adage, or proverb.
Irony
(informal){{cite-journal
Parody
To write a parody upon; to burlesque.
I have translated, or rather parodied, a poem of Horace.
Irony
Of or pertaining to the metal iron.
The food had an irony taste to it.
Parody
A composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way
Irony
Made or consisting of iron; partaking of iron; iron; as, irony chains; irony particles; - In this sense iron is the more common term.
Parody
Humorous or satirical mimicry
Irony
Resembling iron in taste, hardness, or other physical property.
Parody
Make a spoof of or make fun of
Irony
Dissimulation; ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
Parody
Make a parody of;
The students spoofed the teachers
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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