The use of words to convey the opposite meaning

• Often humorous, wry, or sarcastic

Dramatic irony: the audience knows more than the characters

• Creates tension, humor, or poignancy

Situational irony: outcomes contradict reasonable expectations

• A striking mismatch between plans and results

Socratic irony: feigned ignorance to expose flaws or elicit truth

• A questioning pose used to provoke another’s reasoning