The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word IRONY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
I
R
O
N
Y
More clues leading to the result IRONY
- Club comedy, ultimately satire
- Smooth youth leader’s gentle mockery
- Press unknown literary technique?
- Press “play” at the end for feature of Greek theatre
- Make horizontal axis the reverse of what you’d expect
- Part of satire unfair on youngster’s clothing
- Sarcasm from the club youth leader
- Figure to press young beginner
- Dramatic device from smooth Yankee
- Particular use of language in club secretary’s conclusion
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Figure" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case figure = irony.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does IRONY mean?
IRONY noun- A statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.
- Dramatic irony: a theatrical effect in which the meaning of a situation, or some incongruity in the plot, is understood by the audience, but not by the characters in the play.
- Ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist; Socratic irony.
- The state of two usually unrelated entities, parties, actions, etc. being related through a common connection in an uncommon way.
- Contradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected.
- Of or pertaining to the metal iron.