SINCE 1828
ironically
adverb
iron·i·cal·ly
| \ ˌī-ˈrä-ni-k(ə-)lē also i-ˈrä-
\
\
Definition of ironically
1
: in an ironic manner
2
: it is ironic, curious, or surprising
Examples of ironically in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Prior to its Broadway debut, Plaza Suite will premiere at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston (ironically where the original play was staged early on). — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Head to Broadway Together for First Time in 23 Years," 10 Sep. 2019 But as Korematsu and Dred Scott illustrate, the pursuit of political ends through judicial means will often and ironically bring about a far worse result than anticipated—a sort of constitutional karma. — Neil M. Gorsuch, Time, "Justice Neil Gorsuch: Why Originalism Is the Best Approach to the Constitution," 6 Sep. 2019 Some efforts to combat this situation, Anderson says, are ironically emblematic of the overarching problem. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, "Can Spaceflight Save the Planet?," 6 Sep. 2019 She had been accepted to a few schools, but her heart was set on one in particular which, ironically, doesn't require SAT scores. — Rob Frehse And Julian Cummings, CNN, "Eva Longoria and other celebrities write letters of support for actress Felicity Huffman ahead of her sentencing," 6 Sep. 2019 This fraught bureaucratic exercise has ironically delegitimised the political rights of individuals by invoking the discourse on citizenship. — Smitana Saikia, Quartz India, "Why is the Modi government so shrill about finding and deporting illegal immigrants?," 5 Sep. 2019 DuPell points out that his neighbor – ironically himself an insurance agent – saw his annual homeowner's insurance rate skyrocket from $1,200 to $4,000. — Ed Leefeldt, CBS News, "After wildfires, hundreds of thousands of Californians can't get insurance," 30 Aug. 2019 It’s the biggest game Oregon has been in since the 2015 CFP National Championship, which ironically was also at AT&T Stadium. — oregonlive, "Will Mario Cristobal’s belief in where the Oregon Ducks are headed converge with where they are in season opener against Auburn?," 29 Aug. 2019 So ironically enough, glaciers melting under the weight of global warming can help sequester carbon, making such watersheds a previously unrecognized CO2 sink. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "Melting Glaciers Are Helping Capture Carbon," 19 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ironically.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on ironically
What made you want to look up ironically? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
-
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Share ironically
Resources for ironically