2. What is irony
It is difficult to define the word of “irony” which could be understood in various ways. The expansion of its research area may be the direct cause of the diversity of the definition of irony. The following are some definitions of irony from dictionaries.
2.1 Dictionary definitions of irony
1) Expression of one’s meaning by saying the direct opposite of one’s thoughts in order to be emphatic, amusing, sarcastic, etc. [2]
Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary
2) Use of words which are clearly opposite to one’s meaning, usually either in order to be amusing or to show annoyance (e.g. by saying ‘What charming behaviour’ when someone has been rude.) [3]
Longman Dictionary of English Language &Culture (English-Chinese)
3) Irony is a literary technique that achieves the effect of saying one thing and meaning another through the use of humor or mild sarcasm. [4]
Webster’s New World Encyclopedia
4) The use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning. [5]
Webster English Dictionary
5) Irony is a figure of speech that achieves emphasis by saying the opposite of what is meant, the intended meaning of the words being the opposite of their usual sense. This form of irony is called verbal irony, and differs from the stylistic device of dramatic irony. [6]
English Rhetorical Options
6) Definition of irony from Grolier International Dictionary:
a). An expression or utterance marked by such a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning, for humorous or rhetorical effect.
b). Incongruity between what might be expected and what occurs. [7]
The above definitions, although explained by different experts from different angles, roughly display the nature of irony from both the form and function. Among these definitions, the basic meaning of irony could be found as “saying one thing but meaning another.” The best description of irony, say, the Grolier International Dictionary, takes both the form and function of irony into consideration and gives us a better picture. However, all of these definitions have some shortcomings. First, none of them provides an effective way to identify irony from non-irony. Second, they basically regard irony as a trope or a figure of speech whose literal and connotative meanings are mutually opposed to each other. This traditional understanding has been under challenges by modern research.