In casual conversation, words are often tossed around until they lose their precise meaning and have an alternate sense. This happens more often when the actual meaning of the words is slightly esoteric.
Irony vs. Paradox
Irony and Paradox are different in that Irony refers to real situations or honest conversations where the original meaning is different or mismatched from its intended purpose. The paradox is referred to the cases where the statement challenges or refuses intuition as it seems to create uncompromising contraindications.
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The irony is referred to real situations or honest conversations where the original meaning is different or mismatching from its intended purpose.
A paradox is a statement that contradicts its actual meaning and contains some truth. It can be said that paradox is an absurd or contradictory sentence that can be found either true or not after the investigation of the speech.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Irony | Paradox |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The irony is when the actual meaning of the words is different from the intended meaning. | A paradox is when the actual meaning of the words contraindicates the intended purpose. |
| Types | Three types. | Two types. |
| Differentiation | Verbal irony, Dramatic irony, and Situational irony. | Logical paradox and Literary paradox. |
| Statements | It can be a single statement. | It is usually a single statement. |
| Examples | Saying, ‘The weather is warm today on a chilly day. I am burning a fire station. | Less is more. Be cruel to be kind. |
What is Irony?
The irony is referred to real situations or honest conversations where the original meaning is different or mismatching from its intended purpose. It came to wide popularity after the release of one of Alanis Morisette’s songs, “Ironic,” which made irony travel to today’s popular culture.
Irony has three types: Verbal, dramatic, and situational. Verbal irony is the one that occurs when a speaker has said one thing, but it implies something else, i.e.
Dramatic irony is seen when the audience or the listener has much more knowledge than the speaker or the information displayed.
Situational irony is when a person performs a specific action with something in mind, but the steps are the opposite of what the person thought.
What is Paradox?
A paradox is a statement that contradicts its actual meaning and contains some truth. Paradox gained popularity after the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance’s piece, “A Most Ingenious Paradox,” written by Gilbert and Sullivan.
There are two types of paradox: Logical paradox and Literary paradox. A logical contradiction is a contraindication that opposes logic and seems unreasonable. These are not possible in the real world.
A literary paradox is a contraindication that has a deeper meaning for the contraindication. It is supposed to be a standard literary device often used in speech and poetic and fictional works.
Main Differences Between Irony and Paradox
- Irony can be found in speeches, literature, movies, and everyday life, whereas paradox exists in the boundaries of mathematics and science.
- Irony has logical possibilities and meanings, whereas paradoxes are mostly impossible concerning logic.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00330124.2015.1062704
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597818302243
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
