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verbal irony

[ vur-buhl ahy-ruh-nee, ahyer- ]

noun

  1. irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of verbal irony1

First recorded in 1810–20

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Example Sentences

The verbal irony in the story would have played well in the first century.

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petrichor

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verbal auxiliaryverbalism

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