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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of verbal irony¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

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

From The Daily Beast