Which term is a figure of speech using words that imply opposite of what they seem to say on the surface?

• A. Irony
• B. Understatement
• C. Exaggeration
• D. Oxymoron

Answer: (D)

Irony is a figure of speech where the intended meaning is opposite to the literal words spoken, so what’s said on the surface points away from the real message. When someone says something that seems positive but actually means the opposite, that contrast is irony. For example, calling a terrible idea “genius” with a tone that signals the real critique is irony—the surface words imply praise, but the intended message is the opposite.

Oxymoron, by contrast, is about placing opposite words together within a single phrase to create a paradox (like “bitter sweet” or “deafening silence”). It involves the contrast inside the expression itself, not necessarily the speaker meaning the opposite of what the surface words convey. That’s why irony fits the prompt better.