THE PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS OF IRONY AND SARCASM IN ENGLISH HUMOROUS DISCOURSE

Abstract

Irony and sarcasm are prominent pragmatic devices in English humorous discourse through which speakers express attitudes, evaluations, criticism, and interpersonal meanings indirectly. Although the two phenomena are closely related, they differ in communicative orientation and pragmatic intensity. Irony commonly involves an apparent discrepancy between the expressed proposition and the intended interpretation, whereas sarcasm tends to carry a sharper evaluative or critical force. This article examines the pragmatic functions of irony and sarcasm in English humorous discourse, focusing on contextual interpretation, speaker attitude, implicit evaluation, interpersonal communication, and humorous effect.