dramatic irony
noun
literature
: incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play : irony sense 2b
All the other doctors are knownothing quacks; that the audience has more medical knowledge than they is but one example of the dramatic irony which is a feature of Alan Bennett's brilliant script.—
Alan Geary
Alan GearyExamples of dramatic irony in a Sentence
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The dramatic irony, of course, is that Julia did seduce Lovat and is now trying to take advantage of a precedent set by Davina with her own son, but Julia still ends up appealing to Davina’s better angels.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
The Earrings of Madame de… is a weird morality tale—heavy on dramatic irony, and EXCELLENT dresses.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025
For older kids, Shaun is a font of humor, often playing on small-scale dramatic ironies and big broad payoffs — there’s a lot of generous slapstick, and the stakes stay pretty low.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 23 July 2025
The audience is in on the suspicion that the problems here will likely exist there, and the dramatic irony is amped up in this particular context, as Germany has been draconian in clamping down on Palestine solidarity.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
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Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
The Earrings of Madame de… is a weird morality tale—heavy on dramatic irony, and EXCELLENT dresses.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025
For older kids, Shaun is a font of humor, often playing on small-scale dramatic ironies and big broad payoffs — there’s a lot of generous slapstick, and the stakes stay pretty low.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 23 July 2025
The audience is in on the suspicion that the problems here will likely exist there, and the dramatic irony is amped up in this particular context, as Germany has been draconian in clamping down on Palestine solidarity.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dramatic irony
Cite this Entry
“Dramatic irony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dramatic%20irony. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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