Irony or Sarcasm or Satire
How do you explain irony? Can you differentiate between irony and sarcasm? Do you know the meaning of satire?
If you have no answer for these questions, then this post is for you.
How do you explain irony? Can you differentiate between irony and sarcasm? Do you know the meaning of satire?
If you have no answer for these questions, then this post is for you.
source: imgur
Quick Look
Irony means saying the opposite of what is meant.
Sarcasm is a type of irony that is stingy, taunting and unpleasant.
Satire is the use of irony and sarcasm to criticize people's behavior or their ideas.
What is the meaning of Irony?
In simple words, Irony is the way of saying the opposite of what you actually mean.
Your wife's birthday party was going on, and you joined the party when her friends had gone, then your wife said, " Hubby, you have come very early". This is the irony: wife wants to say just opposite of what she actually says.
Your wife's birthday party was going on, and you joined the party when her friends had gone, then your wife said, " Hubby, you have come very early". This is the irony: wife wants to say just opposite of what she actually says.
Let's see what our dictionaries say:
According to Oxford:
Irony is the use of words that say the opposite of what you really mean, often as a joke and with a tone of voice that show this.
What Collins says:
Irony is a subtle form of humour which involves saying things that you don't mean.
What Merriam-Webster's Advanced Dictionary says:
Irony is the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially in order to be funny.
Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary says:
Irony is a form of humour, or an indirect way of conveying meaning, in which you say something in such a way that people realize that you are joking or that you really mean the opposite of what you say. E.G. She said with slight irony. ’Bravo’
What is the meaning of Satire?
In simple words, Satire is a way of exposing something or someone, especially vice or folly of people, by making fun of them. It is shown by using silly language or by portraying weird cartoon.
Satirical means related to satire.
Satirist is a person who writes or uses satire.
Satirize means to attack by means of satire.
Oxford says:
Satire is a way of criticizing a person, an idea or an institution in which you use humour to show their faults or weaknesses; a piece of writing that uses this type of criticism.
The American Heritage Dictionary says:
Satire is a literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit. Irony, sarcasm, or caustic with used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.
What is the meaning of Sarcasm?
Sarcasm is a stingy, taunting, witty and unpleasant remarks that are planned to mock or insult someone's behaviour, or their ideas.
Oxford says:
Sarcasm is a way of using words that are the opposite of what you mean in order to be unpleasant to somebody or to make fun of them.
Longman Lexicon of Contemporary English says:
Sarcasm is a way of speaking or writing which tries to hurt someone's feelings, especially by expressions which clearly mean the opposite to what is felt. ' Thank you for bringing back my bicycle so quickly; you've only had it six months, ' he said with heavy sarcasm.
What is the different between Irony, Satire, and Sarcasm?
Sarcasm is just like irony except that it is more stinging. To say Congratulations! to someone who has broken their own iPhone would be a sarcastic remark.
Irony is used to amuse whereas sarcasm is used to poke or wound.
Irony includes humour and joking.
Irony can be situational or verbal: "Robbers robbed police station" is a situational irony; "When I finally got the job, I discovered i didn't like it" is a verbal irony.
Sarcasm has a feeling of hostility; it shows contempt, including taunting, insulting, hurting, and the like.
A satire includes both irony and sarcasm. It amuses you and stings you at the same time. Satire is applied upon the vices and follies of a time.
Examples of Irony:
"I failed in some subjects in exam, but my friend passed in all. Now he is an engineer in Microsoft and I am the owner of Microsoft." - Bill Gates.
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." - Albert Einstein
Examples of Sarcasm:
Lady: "If I Were Your Wife I’d Put Poison in Your Tea!”
Churchill: “If I Were Your Husband I’d Drink It”. - Winston Churchill
"Marry or don’t marry, you will regret it either way." - Søren Kierkegaard
Example of satire:
Which one is correct ironic or ironical, or ironically?
The preferred form is ironic. The correct adverb is ironically.
Important point:
It is satire (s.a.t.i.r.e). Don't confused with satyr or Saltire.
Don't use coincidence as synonym of irony.
As coincidence means the fact of two things happening at the same time by chance.
What a irony! It rains in sunny. ✘
What a coincidence! It rains in sunny. ✔
It is satire (s.a.t.i.r.e). Don't confused with satyr or Saltire.
Satyr is a god of the woods, with a man's face and body of and a goat's legs and horns.
Saltire means a cross in the shape of an X.
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This author has fundamental misunderstandings about the words they're trying to describe. The very first example of non-sarcastic verbal irony they use, is quite clearly sarcasm. Verbal irony is me waiting in a long line and saying to the person next to me "Time flies when you're having fun!". Sarcasm is me waiting in the same long line but saying to the person next to me "Usain Bolt must be working the register today". Sarcasm is just verbal irony that seems to point a finger at someone/thing in a hostile or derisive manner.
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