2023-05-26 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด I – Irony & satire & sarcasm


Revision I

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Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง Irony = ‘AHY-ruh-nee’ or ‘AHY-er-nee

ออกเสียง satire = ‘SAT-ahyuhr

ออกเสียง sarcasm = ‘SAHR-kaz-uhm


Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression

Irony & satire & sarcasm

Each of these words indicates ridicule, contempt

or mockery of someone or something.

 

Irony is a figure of speech in which 

the literal (exact, denotative) meaning of a word 

or statement is the opposite of that intended.

 

Cicero defined Irony as 

the saying of one thing and meaning another.”

 

A person uses Irony when, on a miserable day, 

he says “Nice day today, isn’t it?

 

Considered the most ironic writing in all literature 

is Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, 

in which the authorrecommends” that 

the Irish sell their babies to English landlords for food


Satire is the ridiculing of stupidity, vice, or folly

it often employs irony and sarcasm 

to denounce the frailties and faults of mankind.

 

Satire blends wit and humor with a critical attitude 

towards human activities and institutions.

An attack on man’s overconsumption of electricity 

and fuel would be a satire (satirical treatment) 

of man’s folly in exhausting his supplies of energy.


Sarcasm is a form of irony 

that consists of bitter and often cruel derision.

 

Sarcasm is always personal, always jeering

and always intended to wound

What a great friend you turn out to be!”

You couldn’t tell the truth to save your life!”

 

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree 

satire

= the use of ridicule, irony, sarcasm, etc., 

to expose folly or vice or to lampoon someone

burlesque, caricature, parody

Not to be confused with:

satyr = one of a class of Greek woodland gods 

with a goat’s or horse’s ears and tail and budding horns

a lustful or sensual man; lecher

 

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary,

SYNONYM STUDY FOR IRONY

synironysatiresarcasm 

indicate mockery of a person or thing.

 

irony is exhibited in the organization 

or structure of either language or literary material.

 

It indirectly presents a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs.

 

One thing is said and its opposite implied, 

as inBeautiful weather, isn't it?said when it is raining.

 

Ironic literature exploits the contrast 

between an ideal and an actual condition

as when events turn out contrary to expectations

 

satire, also a literary and rhetorical form

is the use of ridicule in exposing human vice and folly

Jonathan Swift wrote social and political satires. 


sarcasm is a harsh and cutting type of humor

Its distinctive quality is present in the spoken word

it is manifested chiefly by vocal inflection.

 

Sarcastic language may have the form of irony, 

as inWhat a fine musician you turned out to be!”, 

or it may be a direct statement

as inYou couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants!

 

Dictionary.com
SYNONYM STUDY FOR SATIRE

Satire, lampoon refer to 

literary forms in which vices or follies are ridiculed


Satirethe general term, often emphasizes 

the weakness more than the weak person

and usually implies moral judgment and corrective purpose

Swift's satire of human pettiness and bestiality. 

 

Lampoon refers to a form of satire, often political or personal, characterized by the malice or virulence of its attack

lampoons of the leading political figures.

 

Dictionary.com

SYNONYM STUDY FOR IRONY

Irony, sarcasm, satire 

indicate mockery of something or someone. 

The essential feature of irony is the indirect presentation 

of a contradiction between an action or expression 

and the context in which it occurs

 

In the figure of speech

emphasis is placed on the opposition 

between the literal and intended meaning of a statement

one thing is said and its opposite implied, 

as in the comment, “Beautiful weather, isn't it?” 

made when it is raining or nasty

 

Ironic literature exploits, in addition to the rhetorical figure

such devices as character development, situation, and plot 

to stress the paradoxical nature of reality 

or the contrast between an ideal and actual condition

set of circumstances, etc., 

 

frequently in such a way as to stress 

the absurdity present in the contradiction 

between substance and form. 

 

Irony differs from sarcasm in greater subtlety and wit

In sarcasm ridicule or mockery 

is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously

for destructive purposes


it may be used in an indirect manner, 

and have the form of irony, 

as inWhat a fine musician you turned out to be!” 

or it may be used in the form of a direct statement

You couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” 

 

The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present 

in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal inflection,

whereas satire and ironyarising originally 

as literary and rhetorical forms, are exhibited in the organization or structuring of either language or literary material.

 

Satire usually implies the use of irony or sarcasm 

for censorious or critical purposes and 

is often directed at public figures 

or institutions, conventional behavior, political situations, etc.

 

Dictionary.com

Is Ironic The Most Abused Word In English?

Often the word ironic is misused 

to remark on a coincidence

such as 

This is the third time today we’ve run into each other. How ironic.

 

It is also mistakenly used to describe 

something out of the ordinary or unusual

Yesterday was a beautiful, warm day in November. 

It was really ironic. 

 

And, unfortunately, it is sometimes 

used to simply emphasize something interesting

For exampleIronically, it was the best movie I’ve seen all year! 

 

We submit that ironic might be 

the most abused word in the English language.


What about the song?

Even Alanis Morissette was called out for 

being too loose with the word in her 1995 hitIronic.” 

The critics were so sharp that Morissette 

was forced to explain that 

she wasn’t trying to make every lyric in the song 

technically ironic.”

 

So, what does the word really mean

And how do you make a proper ironic statement? 

 

An ironic remark conveys a meaning that is 

the opposite of its literal meaning

 

So, in an ironic statement 

one thing is said, while another thing is meant. 

For example

if you were trying to be ironic on a stormy, dreary day, 

you might say, “What glorious weather!” 

Or if you were suffering from a bad cold

you might ironically say, 

I feel like a million bucks.” 

These are both examples of verbal irony, 

the most common occurrence of the figure of speech.

 

Irony vs. sarcasm

Irony is often confused with sarcasm

While the two are similar, 

in sarcasm there is a stronger intent to ridicule or mock

often harshly or crudely.

 

Dramatic irony is inherent in speeches or a situation 

of a drama and is understood by the audience 

but not grasped by the characters in the play

 

Situational irony is an outcome 

that turns out to be very different from what was expected. 

 

This third type is the most prone to ambiguity 

and personal interpretation

setting up the potential for misunderstanding and misuse.


Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Choose the Right Synonym for irony

WITHUMORIRONYSARCASMSATIREREPARTEE 

mean a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement. 

 

WIT suggests the power to evoke laughter 

by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity 

and swift perception 

especially of the incongruous.  

a playful wit 

 

HUMOR implies an ability to perceive 

the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life 

and to express these usually without bitterness.  

a sense of humor 


IRONY applies to a manner of expression 

in which the intended meaning is the opposite 

of what is seemingly expressed.  

the irony of the title  

 

SARCASM applies to expression frequently 

in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.  

given to heartless sarcasm 

 

SATIRE applies to writing that 

exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions 

either by direct criticism or 

more often through irony, parody, or caricature.  

a satire on the Congress  


REPARTEE implies the power of answering 

quickly, pointedly, or wittily.  

a dinner guest noted for repartee

 

What's irony?

Considerable thought is given to 

what events constitute “true” irony

and the dictionary is often called upon to supply an answer

 

Here are the facts about 

how the word irony is used.

Irony has two formal uses 

that are not as common in general prose 

as its more casual uses

 

One refers to Socratic irony

a method of revealing 

an opponent’s ignorance 

by pretending to be ignorant yourself 

and asking probing questions.

 

The other refers to dramatic irony or tragic irony

—an incongruity between the situation in a drama 

and the words used by the characters 

that only the audience can see

 

Socratic irony is a tool used in debating

dramatic irony is what happens 

when the audience realizes 

that Romeo and Juliet’s plans will go awry.

 

The third, and debated, use of irony 

regards what’s called situational irony.

 

Situational irony involves 

a striking reversal of what is expected or intended

a person sidesteps a pothole to avoid injury 

and in doing so steps into another pothole 

and injures themselves.

 

Critics claim the words irony and ironic 

as they are used in cases lacking a striking reversal

such as 

“Isn’t it ironic that you called just as I was planning to call you?,”

are more properly called coincidence.

 

The historical record shows that irony and ironic 

have been used imprecisely for almost 100 years at least

and often to refer to coincidence.

 

This 1939 quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald is typical: 

"It is an ironic thought that the last picture job I took

against my better judgment

—yielded me five thousand dollars five hundred and cost over four thousand in medical attention." 


Is this true situational irony? It’s debatable.

The word irony has come to be 

applied to events that are merely curious or coincidental

and while some feel this is an incorrect use of the word

it is merely a new one.

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Choose the Right Synonym for satire

WITHUMORIRONYSARCASMSATIREREPARTEE 

mean a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement


WIT suggests the power to evoke laughter 

by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity 

and swift perception especially of the incongruous.  

a playful wit 

 

HUMOR implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous

the comical, and the absurd in human life 

and to express these usually without bitterness.  

a sense of humor 

 

IRONY applies to a manner of expression 

in which the intended meaning is 

the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.  

the irony of the title  


SARCASM applies to expression frequently 

in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.  

given to heartless sarcasm 


SATIRE applies to writing that exposes or 

ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions 

either by direct criticism 

or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.  

a satire on the Congress  

 

REPARTEE implies the power of answering quickly, 

pointedly, or wittily.  

a dinner guest noted for repartee

 

The Culinary Roots of Satire

Satire came into English at the beginning of the 16th century

and the meaning of the word 

has not strayed very far from its original sense

The initial uses were primarily applied to poems, 

and the term now has a broader applicability.

Satire has a semantic and etymological overlap 

with both farce and lampoon. 

 

Farce ("a light dramatic composition 

marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot") 

came into English as a synonym for forcemeat, 

meaning "finely chopped and highly seasoned meat or fish 

that is either served alone or used as a stuffing."

 

Lampoon ("a harsh satire usually 

directed against an individual") 

is thought to come from the French lampons!

meaning "let us guzzle!

And satire is believed to trace back to the Latin satur

meaning "well-fed."


Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Trend Watch

Irony

After a widely read essay offered ways to "live without irony" ...

When:

Lookups peaked on November 19, 2012.

Why:

"How to Live Without Irony," 

an essay in the New York Times

generated a lot of discussion online and offline.

 

Whether or not readers agreed with the critique 

("If irony is the ethos of our age – and it is 

then the hipster is our archetype of ironic living")

many people went to the dictionary 

to explore the meaning of a notoriously slippery word.

 

Irony means "the use of words to express something 

other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning."

This definition is now often broadened beyond just words

an example given in the article 

is that of a young adult man wearing a Justin Bieber T-shirt next to a young teenage girl wearing the same T-shirt.

 

Irony comes from the Greek word that means 

"one who hides under a false appearance."

 

It's also likely that many people look up the word irony 

because the word ironic is often used 

to mean surprising or coincidental

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Irony

Definition:

: the use of words to express something other than 

and especially the opposite of the literal meaning

Example:

"It is the oldest ironies that are still the most satisfying: 

man, when preparing for bloody war, 

will orate loudly and most eloquently in the name of peace.

Alan Moore, Watchmen, published as a collection in 1987

 

About the Word:

Students study various forms of irony

ranging from dramatic irony to verbal irony


The word irony itself traces back to 

the Greek character Eiron, a comic underdog 

whose wit enabled him to triumph over the boastful Alazon.

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Satire meanshumor that shows the weaknesses 

or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc.” 

 

The word’s origin is uncertain

but one theory holds that 

it comes from the same root as saturate and satisfy

going back to the name of a Roman salad 

composed of different ingredients

a term that was then used for writing intended to mock 

and criticize that mixed quotations and genres.


Sarcasm

DefinitionA sharp and often satirical 

or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
 

When it trended: August 12, 2016

Sarcasm and sarcastic 

both shot to the top of our look-ups on August 12th 

 

as Donald Trump sought to explicate his claim that 

President Obama founded ISIS 

(President Obama did not found ISIS):

 

Donald Trump Explains His Obama-Founded-ISIS Claim as ‘Sarcasm’
—The New York Times, 12 Aug. 2016

In reversal, Trump says IS claim about Obama was sarcastic
—The Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2016

 

Both words may be traced to the Greek word sarkázein

which means "to jeer at while biting the lips." 

Of the twosarcasm is the older word, with use dating back to 1550

Sarcasm means "a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain

or "a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect 

on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language 

that is usually directed against an individual."

 

And if you were hoping that 

there is a word for a sarcastic person,

you’re in luck: it’s sarcast.

 

Dictionary.com

BEHIND THE WORD

Where does the word sarcasm come from?

On the hit TV show Friends

the character Chandler Bing can never help himself 

from being sarcastic

But, maybe he would think twice 

if he knew the origins of the word sarcasm.


Sarcasm is defined as a “sneering or cutting remark.”

 

Fittingly, the word sarcasm comes from the ancient Greek word sarkázein

which meantto tear flesh.” 

That verb became a metaphor for “speaking bitterly.”

 

While we always hear that 

sticks and stones can’t break our bones, 

even the ancient Greeks recognized 

that sarcasm feels like someone is digging into you.

 

The roots of these other words may get a rise

of laughter or surprise—out of you. 

Run on over to our roundup of them 

at “Weird Word Origins That Will Make Your Family Laugh.”

 

Dictionary.com

Did you know … ?

Many other words derive from the same Greek root as sarcasm, including sarcophagus, 

a word which literally means “flesh-eating.”

 

Discover the grisly reasons 

why at our Words That Use sarco- article

 

Generally speaking, sarcasm 

is a form of verbal 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.

 

For this reason

many people sometimes take sarcastic comments at face value

This is especially true online, 

where it’s harder to convey tone and intention

despite all our emoji and emoticons

Due to the limitations of digital communication

some people will often end a sarcastic remark 

with “/sarcasm” or “/s” so they don’t get misinterpreted.

 

Sarcasm is commonly used in many kinds of humor

from self-deprecation to satire.


Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Frequently Asked Questions About sarcasm

Is sarcasm the same as irony?

Sarcasm refers to the use of words 

that mean the opposite of what you really want to say

especially in order to insult someone

or to show irritation, or just to be funny.


For example

saying "they're really on top of things

to describe a group of people who are very disorganized 

is using sarcasm. 

 

Most often, sarcasm is biting, and intended to cause pain

Irony can also refer to the use of words that mean 

the opposite of what you really want to say

the "they're really on top of things" statement 

about the very disorganized group of people 

can also be described as an ironic statement

 

But irony can also refer to a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be 

the opposite of what you expected;

 

for example, it is ironic 

if someone who was raised by professional musicians 

but who wanted a very different kind of life 

then fell in love with and married a professional musician.

 

What is the plural of sarcasm?

Sarcasm is what we refer to asnoncount noun 

("a noun that denotes a homogeneous substance 

or a concept without subdivisions and that in English 

is preceded in indefinite singular constructions 

by some rather than a or an"), and has no plural form.

 

What are some synonyms for sarcasm?

Sarcasm shares some semantic territory 

with a number of other English words

including witrepartee, and humor

While most of these are in some way 

concerned with inducing laughter

sarcasm stands alone in denoting caustic language 

that is designed to cut or give pain.


Merriam-Webster Dictionary

History and Etymology for sarcasm

Earlier sarcasmus, borrowed from Middle French or 

Late Latin; Middle French sarcasme, 

borrowed from Late Latin sarcasmos "mockery," 

borrowed from Late Greek sarkasmós, 

from Greek sark ázein "to jeer at while biting the lips

(in GALEN; perhaps, if the original sense 

was "to bite or strip off flesh," 

derivative of sark-, sárx "flesh") + -smos, suffix of verbal action 

— more at SARCO-

 

NOTE: 

The original sense of the Greek verb sarkázein 

is conjectural, as all instances referring 

to jeering or mockery come from late 

or post-classical sources, generally lexica.

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