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
Recent Examples on the Web
The tension between spoken words and unspoken thoughts can create delicious dramatic irony, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024
Well, his appearance gives the season’s ending a big hit of dramatic irony.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 July 2024
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, 11 June 2024
When Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic opened Off Broadway in 2022, there was already a steady drip of dramatic irony in the play.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dramatic irony 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024
Well, his appearance gives the season’s ending a big hit of dramatic irony.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 July 2024
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, 11 June 2024
When Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic opened Off Broadway in 2022, there was already a steady drip of dramatic irony in the play.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dramatic irony
Dictionary Entries Near dramatic irony
Cite this Entry
“Dramatic irony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dramatic%20irony. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share