1. plural of irony; situations where there is a contrast between expectation and reality, or the use of words to convey a meaning opposite to their literal meaning

Examples

• The ironies of life often catch us by surprise.
• She pointed out the ironies in his argument about honesty.
• The play was full of dramatic ironies that the audience appreciated.
• One of the great ironies is that he became wealthy selling books about poverty.
• The ironies of the situation were not lost on the observers.
• Historical ironies reveal how unpredictable events can be.