3 Types of Irony: What's the Difference? With Examples

Irony is when the opposite of what is expected happens. In writing, there are three types of irony — verbal, situational, and dramatic.

• Verbal irony is when a person says one thing but means the opposite;
• Situational irony is when the opposite of what is expected happens; and
• Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the characters do not.

Basically, irony is a clever literary device used to create some sort of contrast. This can have a variety of effects, ranging from comedic to tragic to simply surprising. It all depends on how you use it!

To help you understand this technique, let’s dig into the three common types of irony — with examples of irony from books, movies, and more.

1. Verbal irony

Verbal irony is where the intended meaning of a statement is the opposite of what is actually said. People and characters alike use it to express amusement, emphasize a point, or to voice frustration or anger.

You’re likely to encounter verbal irony in everyday conversation! It often takes the form of sarcasm, which is typically used to criticize or dimiss something. Keep in mind that verbal irony and sarcasm are not exactly the same — sarcasm is usually negative in intent and tone, while verbal irony can be more positive — but there is a good amount of overlap.

Here are a few common phrases that show how verbal irony works:

• “Clear as mud.”
• “Friendly as a rattlesnake.”
• “About as much fun as a root canal.”

You might notice these are all similes comparing two things which are not, in fact, very alike — a classic construction of verbal irony!

Now let’s look at other ways that verbal irony can function, with examples from well-known media.

Overstates something small

Broadly speaking, verbal irony works by either overstating or understating the situation.

Ironic overstatement is another version of verbal irony we hear all the time. Think about someone going into a meeting and saying, “This is going to be the best hour of my life!” Or someone who wins a dollar on a lottery ticket saying, “Yeah, I hit the jackpot on that one.”

💡 Note: don’t confuse ironic overstatements with hyperbole, which are exaggerated statements that still speak to an essential truth! If a character says “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse,” that isn’t ironic — just over-the-top.

Or downplays something big

Meanwhile, an ironic understatement downplays the impact of something that is, in reality, rather significant or severe. 

For example, in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield casually says:

“I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.”

Needless to say, this is a ridiculous understatement, given the serious nature of a brain tumor. While Holden doesn't actually have a tumor, his understatement creates a darkly funny contrast — another example of how verbal irony can be used in a comedic way.

Reveals a deeper truth

Beyond surface-level humor, verbal irony can also be used to reveal a deeper truth about something, often challenging the reader’s perceptions. Indeed, when viewed through a lens of unflinching irony, many situations are exposed for what they really are.

For a literary example of verbal irony, let’s look at the very first lines of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:

Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

Though the first line sounds complimentary, the verse as a whole is definitely not praising the Montagues and Capulets for their honorable ways. Instead, the last two lines imply the opposite — both households are equally undignified. With this, the first line gains a poetic irony.

And this verse actually serve a dual purpose: in addition to giving us some context for the story, it warns readers that all that glitters is not gold. These families may be considered “nobility”, but that doesn’t mean they always act nobly. In fact, their arrogance leads them down the opposite path — and to a tragic end for Romeo and Juliet.

Provides character insight

Finally, verbal irony in character dialogue is a great tool for characterization! As you might imagine, people who use verbal irony tend to be smart, self-aware, and often keen to make light of a tough situation.

For example, in Casablanca, the corrupt-yet-charming police captain Renault is forced to close down Rick’s club under the pretense of gambling. To show Rick (and the audience) that he knows it’s a farce, Renault exclaims, “I’m shocked — shocked! — to find that gambling is going on in here!” And indeed, in the next breath, he’s accepting his winnings from the club.

Verbal irony is also a great way to demonstrate character dynamics. Characters who use irony in conversation tend to be either gently teasing or insulting each other... or both. If you are writing a romantic comedy — or anything where characters have a “push-and-pull” dynamic — consider peppering in some verbal irony to show it.

2. Situational irony

Situational irony occurs when there’s a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. It may contradict the expectations of the characters, the audience, or both — but either way, situational irony is bound to surprise.

You might think of situational irony as “the irony of events” to distinguish it from the other types of irony. However, it is not the same as coincidence or bad luck (sorry, Alanis Morrisette!).

Basically, if you buy a new car and crash it, that is coincidental and unlucky — but not ironic. But if a professional stunt driver were to crash their car on the way home from receiving a “Best Driver” award, that would be situationally ironic; it’s the last thing you would expect to happen.

So why might a writer use situational irony in their story?

Enables a plot twist

When an audience expects something and gets something else, it often constitutes a plot twist. It’s true that not all plot twists are ironic, and not all situational irony is “twisty”. But similar to verbal irony and sarcasm, there is frequent overlap.

One of the greatest twists of literature occurs in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton — a prisoner and a lawyer respectively, who bear a strong resemblance to each other. They also have similar taste in women; both fall in love with our young French heroine, Lucie Manette.

Though we first meet Darnay when he’s on trial for treason, he is soon acquitted and able to court Lucie, and they eventually marry. Carton’s love for Lucie remains unrequited, but he is still a friend of the family.

The climax of the novel is when Darnay is re-arrested and sentenced to death — and Carton, despite being a lawyer and in love with Lucie, decides to switch places with Darnay and sacrifice himself. It’s a fantastic twist, not only because Carton is flouting his career as a lawyer and giving up on Lucie forever, but because he’s doing so to save her existing husband!

This sort of situational irony can make a twist both unexpected and incredibly satisfying. Bonus points if — like Dickens — you can conjure a situation that is thematically ironic, yet develop your characters such that their “ironic” choices still make sense in retrospect.

And speaking of themes, situational irony also often...

Emphasizes a theme or lesson

Taking readers in an unexpected direction can also emphasize a theme or moral lesson. This can remind readers that an expected outcome is not always guaranteed. And because situational irony may urge readers to think twice about their own assumptions, authors often deploy it in fables or morality tales.

In Aesop's 'The Tortoise and the Hare,' for example, the unexpected outcome teaches us that slow and steady wins the race. Or perhaps the real moral is that you shouldn't be complacent and take naps during races.

Situational irony creates a contrast between appearances and underlying truths. When done properly, this can significantly alter a reader's interaction with, expectations of, and insight into a story. But irony must be used with care: without the help of intonation and body language, it requires people to read between the lines to understand its intentions; a reader who doesn’t see the irony will take these words at face value.

3. Dramatic irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader or viewer knows something that the characters in the story do not. This can create a sense of unease or anticipation as the audience waits to see how the characters will react to the situation they are in. 

So, to what effect can dramatic irony be used in a story?

Builds fear and suspense

Let's listen to the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock, talk about how dramatic irony can build suspense: 

Let us suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table between us. Nothing happens, and then all of a sudden, “Boom!” There is an explosion. The public is surprised, but prior to this surprise, it has seen an absolutely ordinary scene, of no special consequence. Now, let us take a suspense situation. The bomb is underneath the table and the public knows it…In these conditions this same innocuous conversation becomes fascinating because the public is participating in the secret.

When readers or viewers know more than the characters do, they’re often left on pins and needles, waiting for the other shoe to drop or for an inevitable plot point to appear. Will the character discover the secret we already know? What will happen when they find out the truth? What if they find out the truth too late? Subconsciously, all of these questions run through their minds as the story unfolds, contributing to page-turning suspense.

The Hobbit contains a perfect example of dramatic irony — when Bilbo happens upon the ring while lost on a mountain, he puts it in his pocket and soon afterward encounters Gollum.

At this point, readers understand the significance of the ring and its importance to Gollum. However, Gollum does not yet realize he has lost the ring, and Bilbo doesn’t yet know who the ring belongs to. For this reason, the scene where Bilbo and Gollum engage in a game of riddles becomes more stressful for the audience who understands what’s at stake. 

📚 For some truly impressive suspense-building, check out this list of the 50 best suspense books of all time.

Elicits sympathy for a character

If a character is happy but we know that tragedy lies ahead, we can’t help but sympathize with them. If the reader or audience is already "rooting for" the characters, they will hold on to the hope that things will turn out okay for them. And whatever the end result is — pain or relief —  the reader is likely to feel it twofold.

In the modern-day Shakespeare adaptation Ten Things I Hate About You, for example, bad-boy transfer student Patrick is paid by his classmate to woo the cold and aloof Kat. The audience knows that Kat will eventually discover the truth. The deception will wound her, and Patrick will (justifiably) lose her trust. This dramatic irony gives the scenes where they fall in love a bittersweet edge, making us sympathize with both characters.

In fact, many romance tropes rely on dramatic irony, like the hate-to-love trope — just on account of the characters existing in a romance novel, readers know they're going to end up together. This results in that “slow burn” anticipation where readers are dying to see the characters confess their feelings, but have to live with their impatience as the romance slowly runs its course.

Sets up comical misunderstandings

A lot of comedy comes out of misunderstandings — where a character believes something that the audience knows not to be true, or doesn’t yet know something important. The dramatic irony turns into comedic tension as the character obliviously digs themselves (or other characters) into a deeper hole.

To give you an example of how this works: in a season one episode of Friends, Joey tried to win back his ex-girlfriend Angela by arranging a double date. He brings Monica but tells her that Angela’s new boyfriend, Bob, is actually her brother — making it seem as though Bob is Monica’s date. This misunderstanding turns to hilarious confusion as Monica is creeped out by how 'close' Bob and Angela seem to be.

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Want more examples and in-depth explanation of any of these types of irony? We’ve spent some time breaking them down even further in the next posts in this guide — starting with verbal irony.