# What is the Opposite of Irony? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156 "2012-01-11T13:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/1 "2012-01-11T13:24:28Z")
If I sign up at the gym and hire a personal trainer, and his name is Flabby McPotbelly, that would be ironic. But if my trainer’s name is Bufftastic McRipped, that would be… ? [thesaurus.com](http://thesaurus.com) was of little to no help. Kismet, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/2 "2012-01-11T13:29:31Z")
Aptness? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/3 "2012-01-11T13:32:23Z")
how 'bout just saying “appropriate” ? Irony means using words that are the opposite of what you intend. (in your example-Flabby McPotbelly is the opposite of what you expect a trainer to look like. Bufftastic is the same as what you expect.) And if something is the same as you intended, then it’s appropriate. Or, if you wanna sound a bit pretentious, say it in French: “a propos” ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/4 "2012-01-11T13:36:17Z")
[Answers.com](http://Answers.com) gives “expected” as the antonym of “ironic”, but it doesn’t quite fit does it ? ETA: ooh, I like appropriate, yes. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/5 "2012-01-11T13:45:33Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > If I sign up at the gym and hire a personal trainer, and his name is Flabby McPotbelly, that would be ironic. But if my trainer’s name is Bufftastic McRipped, that would be… ? Hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/6 "2012-01-11T14:02:18Z")
I don’t think there is any single opposite for irony. For example if you refer to a piece of writing as being ironic the opposite is probably something like earnest. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/7 "2012-01-11T14:03:19Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > If I sign up at the gym and hire a personal trainer, and his name is Flabby McPotbelly, that would be ironic. But if my trainer’s name is Bufftastic McRipped, that would be… ? [Nominative determinism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism), in this specific sort of case. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/8 "2012-01-11T14:04:34Z")
Fitting. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/9 "2012-01-11T14:15:02Z")
permanent press. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/10 "2012-01-11T14:23:40Z")
Unironic? Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press: unironic ▶adjective not ironic. – derivatives unironically adverb. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/11 "2012-01-11T14:23:56Z")
Wrinkly. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/12 "2012-01-11T14:37:29Z")
Woody-F ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/13 "2012-01-11T15:08:18Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > Wrinkly. I was going to say rusty.😃 ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/14 "2012-01-11T15:22:22Z")
appropriate, apropos, befitting, apt, redundant ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/15 "2012-01-11T15:51:28Z")
Earnest. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/16 "2012-01-11T15:54:21Z")
Ebony. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/17 "2012-01-11T15:57:49Z")
[Apropos](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apropos)? Dangit, scooped. “ **I** am the opposite of irony!” the brassy woman declared, fixing me with her steely gaze. ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/18 "2012-01-11T17:56:12Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > Ebony. I believe that’s the opposite of Ivory. They do, however, live together in perfect harmony. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/19 "2012-01-11T18:26:13Z")
> [@Nom\_de\_Plume](#): > > I believe that’s the opposite of Ivory. Ridiculous, the opposite of Ivory is Irish Spring. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156/20 "2012-01-11T18:30:57Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Ridiculous, the opposite of Ivory is Irish Spring. Au contraire, I’m pretty certain that the opposite of Ivory is LAVA. I would, in regards to the OP, most likely use apt. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-irony/609156.md?page=2)