Verbal Irony is defined as...

• A. Saying the opposite of what one means.
• B. A contrast between expectation and reality.
• C. A struggle between a character and outside forces.
• D. When the audience knows something characters do not.

Answer: (A)

Verbal irony is when you say the opposite of what you truly mean. The words convey one thing, but the speaker intends the opposite, often clear from tone or situation. For example, commenting “Nice job” after someone makes a visible mistake signals the opposite of praise. This is different from a contrast between expectation and reality, which is situational irony, or from the audience knowing something characters don’t, which is dramatic irony. So the defining feature is the mismatch between what is said and what is meant.