Irony is a figure of speech or a literary device that involves a contradiction or incongruity between what is expected or intended to happen and what actually occurs. It often highlights the discrepancy between appearance and reality, or between one's understanding and the actual outcome. Irony can take many forms, such as verbal irony (saying something different from what is meant), situational irony (when the situation contradicts expectations), or dramatic irony (when the audience knows something that the characters do not). It is often used to create humor, satire, or to convey a deeper meaning or message.
