A literary art form that ridicules
human folly or vice hoping to
correct it

Sneering disapproval often
expressed as praise; i.e.,
someone who falls may be
praised for his gracefulness

A literary device where what is
stated is often the opposite of
what is meant.

Speech that deliberately
minimizes a situation, often for
comic effect

Denying the opposite of what is intended - That board is not full or words.

Gross overstatement or exaggeration

A statement or situation that first seems impossible or contradictory but that actually may be true either in fact or in a figurative sense.

A type of paradox consisting of contradictory terms or ideas (cruel kindness, jumbo shrimp)

Demonstrating how absurd, false, or ridiculous an idea or theory is when carried to its logical conclusion.