Michael was a really big guy. He was a linebacker on the football team, and his shoulders were twice the size of most people’s.
Everyone knows Michael at school, but no one actually knows his real name. They just call him “Tiny.” Which literary device is the author using? understatement verbal irony paradox symbolism
Verbal irony refers to an incongruence between what is said and what we actually mean; we use it when we intentionally say one thing but means the opposite. This literary device is often used for humorous or emphatic effect. In the excerpt, the fact that people intentionally call Michael “Tiny” when in reality he is a really big guy is an example of verbal irony because people mean the opposite of what they say.
