B1 — Intermediateadjective
ironico
ironic, wry, dry
Synonyms (≈ similar meaning)
sarcasticoargutospiritosodistaccatosottile
Antonyms (≠ opposite meaning)
letteraledirettoingenuoserioprivo di ironia
Usage note
'Ironico' in Italian often has a positive, intelligent quality. 'Sarcastico' is more biting. 'Sottile' (subtle) describes the same quality indirectly. 'Distaccato' in humour implies dry wit. 'Letterale' (antonym) means taking things at face value.
Example
"Risponde sempre con un sorriso ironico: difficile capire se fa sul serio."
"He always replies with a wry smile: it's hard to tell if he's being serious."
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