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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Use of ironically

Does ironically mean incidentally as well?
I feel like ironically means something unexpected that happened.

Is this the right use of "ironically"?
So I told my friend this "You remind me of Juicy Couture. I think it's because you told me a story about your mum having a Juicy bag."

She replied, "Ironically, I was supposed to bring a Juicy bag when we went out but I had to bring another one."

Help please. ( I feel like in this sentence ironically = incidentally)


i·ron·i·cal·ly Adverb /i'ränik(?)le/

  • In an ironic manner

  • Used to denote a paradoxical, unexpected, or coincidental situation

    • ironically, the rescue craft that saved her was the boat she was helping to pay for
  

Top answer

It does not mean 'incidentally'. 'Incidentally' means 'by chance' or 'by the way'.

— Mister Micawber

  • It does not mean 'incidentally'.
  • 'Incidentally' means 'by chance' or 'by the way'.
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5 Answers
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It does not mean 'incidentally'. 'Incidentally' means 'by chance' or 'by the way'.
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So is the use of ironically in the my friend's sentence correct?
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I don't know her intentions, but it seems appropriate enough with the meaning of 'unexpected coincidence'.
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No that is absolutely an incorrect usage of the word ironically.
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In my opinion, neither of the two situations you presented are ironic. Ironic means that a in a situation things are not happening as they would be expected to happen. There is a wry bite to an ironic situations that is missing in the situations you gave.

In the first one, all you have is an obscene play on words, without the sardonic twist that you'd find in an ironic situation. To be
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