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Glite Dictionary
🤔 Skeptical attitude 📝 Use of irony
ironism

ironism

9.9
A long, deliberate use of irony to question fixed beliefs or systems
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪəˌnɪzəm/
  • Literature
translation icon : ironismo
  • It is possible to argue that contemporary America is characterized by postmodern ironism and lazy moralism among intellectuals and by a kind of soft hedonism among those we might expect (or hope) would cultivate moral virtue.

Examples

  • Her speeches often reflected a sense of ironism, challenging the audience's established beliefs with humor and skepticism.

  • The novel's use of ironism allowed the author to critique societal norms while entertaining the reader.

  • In his essay, he explored the concept of ironism as a means to question ideologies without directly confronting them.

Synonyms

irony
vsironism
165 4.1

Saying the opposite of what you mean to be funny or critical

is a sustained skeptical literary or philosophical stance against fixed beliefs

Antonyms

sincerity
71 3.1

A feeling of being honest and not pretending

earnestness
8 4.9

A serious, sincere feeling that shows you really care and try hard

How Ironic

ironism
  • Literature
9.9
sarcasm
109 3.9
wryness
1 7.2
irony
165 4.1

Surface Forms

ironism singular
ironisms plural

Morphology

ironism = irony (semi-transparent) = irony + ism

Formed from 'irony' + '-ism' but used as a technical philosophical/literary stance, a specialized sense not obvious to average learners.

Etymology

The word ironism comes from irony and the ending -ism, where irony means 'saying the opposite' or having a 'hidden meaning' and -ism means 'a belief or way of thinking'. So ironism is an attitude or philosophy that keeps irony and doubt as a steady way of thinking, which is why philosophers use it to question fixed beliefs.