Antiphrasis

Antiphrasis is the rhetorical device of saying the opposite of what is actually meant in such a way that it is obvious what the true intention is.^[1]

Some authors treat and use antiphrasis just as irony, euphemism or litotes.^[2]

When the antiphrasal use is very common, the word can become an auto-antonym,^[3] having opposite meanings depending on context. For example, Spanish dichoso^[4] originally meant "fortunate, blissful" as in tierra dichosa, "fortunate land", but it acquired the ironic and colloquial meaning of "infortunate, bothersome" as in ¡Dichosas moscas!, "Damned flies!".

Etymology

Antiphrasis is a Greek word which means 'opposite words'.^[5][6]

Antiphrasis as euphemism

Some euphemisms are antiphrasis, such as "Eumenides" 'the gracious ones' to mean the Erinyes, deities of vengeance.

Examples

• "Take your time, we've got all day", meaning "hurry up, we don't have all day".
• "Tell me about it", in the sense of "don't bother, I already know".
• "Great!", an exclamation uttered when something unpleasant had happened or is about to happen.

See also

• Irony
• Litotes
• Sarcasm
• Satire