Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows information that the characters do not, creating tension or humor. This literary device enhances the audience’s engagement, as they anticipate the characters’ reactions upon discovering the truth.
Dramatic irony is commonly used in plays, movies, and literature to build suspense and deepen emotional impact.
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Irony occurs when events or words are the opposite of what is expected, creating a sense of surprise, humor, or deeper meaning in literature, rhetoric, and everyday situations.
Irony can foster critical thinking, enrich storytelling, and convey multiple layers of meaning.
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Situational irony occurs when the actual outcome of a situation is starkly different from what was expected, creating a surprising twist.
Ironically, Dorothy and her friends discover that the Wizard is an ordinary man, and they have always possessed the traits and abilities they were seeking.
Situational irony can amplify effects such as humor, tragedy, and satire. It’s an important plot device in many genres of literature, film, and TV.
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A paraprosdokian is a humorous figure of speech in which the latter part of an expression takes a surprising turn, requiring the audience to reframe the first part.
Examples of paraprosdokians are typically found in everyday jokes, literature, or performance art (e.g., stand-up comedy, TV, or film).
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A cliché is an expression or trope that has lost its impact due to excessive use in a given cultural context. “Time heals all wounds” is an example of a cliché.
Clichés are often perceived as a sign of a lack of effort, imagination, or sincerity in writing, speech, and creative works.
You can’t judge a book by its cover.
What goes around comes around.
Scribbr’s Paraphrasing Tool can help you find alternatives to clichés and find your unique voice.
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Paradoxes are thought-provoking statements or situations that seem self-contradictory or ironic. Some paradoxes reveal truths through seemingly irrational statements, while others expose flaws in conventional reasoning.
Examples of paradoxes can be found in everyday expressions, literature, and academic domains such as logic and philosophy.
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A play on words, often referred to as wordplay, is an expression that manipulates the meanings, sounds, spellings, or arrangement of words to achieve humor, irony, or layers of meaning. The term is sometimes used as a synonym for “pun,” but it can encompass various other devices that use language in clever, innovative ways.
Examples of plays on words can be found in media, literature, marketing, and everyday conversations. These wordplay examples include puns, double entendres, portmanteaus, palindromes, malapropisms, oxymorons, and paraprosdokians.
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Verbal irony involves using language in an indirect, non-literal manner, with an intended meaning that is different from (and often opposite to) the literal meanings of the words. This rhetorical technique can serve various purposes, including humor, sarcasm, and persuasion.
In The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, the exacting editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, uses verbal irony to express frustration with her assistant.
Examples of verbal irony can be found in artistic contexts like literature and film as well as everyday contexts like social media conversations.
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A double entendre is a type of wordplay that involves one straightforward meaning and another implied, risqué meaning. While sometimes used to simply mean “pun,” a true double entendre traditionally implies taboo innuendo.
Double entendres are used for humor or subtle communication and can add humor and complexity to literature, comedy, and everyday conversation.
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A pun is a form of wordplay that uses terms with similar or identical sounds or spellings for humorous effect. Puns can also underscore irony, contribute to character development, or highlight absurdity.
I told a chemistry joke, but there was no reaction.
I became well red by reading in the sun.
Puns are a common form of wordplay in comedy, literature, film, and everyday life.
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