{
    "term": "irony",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the funny or strange aspect of a situation that is very different from what you expect; a situation like this",
            "sensetop": "the irony (is) that…",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It was one of life's little ironies."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The irony is that when he finally got the job, he discovered he didn't like it.",
                    "contextForm": "the irony (is) that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is a nice irony that the Minister of Transport missed the meeting because her train was delayed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The ultimate irony is that the revolution, rather than bringing freedom, actually ended it completely."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is a certain irony in the situation."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["great", "heavy", "gentle"],
                "… of irony": ["hint", "touch", "trace"],
                "preposition": ["by a… irony"],
                "phrases": ["a certain irony"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "the use of words that say the opposite of what you really mean, often as a joke and with a tone of voice that shows this",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘England is famous for its food,’ she said with **heavy irony**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There was a note of irony in his voice."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She said it without a **hint/trace of irony**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He thanked us all without a touch of irony."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She congratulated him with gentle irony."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She tried to ignore the heavy irony in his voice."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His writing is rich in irony."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Language"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["great", "heavy", "gentle"],
                "… of irony": ["hint", "touch", "trace"],
                "preposition": ["by a… irony"],
                "phrases": ["a certain irony"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈaɪrəni/",
                "audio": "ir/irony/irony__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈaɪrəni/",
                "audio": "ir/irony/irony__us_1_rr.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "early 16th cent. (also denoting irony in the Socratic sense): via Latin from Greek eirōneia ‘simulated ignorance’, from eirōn ‘dissembler’."
}