Irony

Irony:
Verbal irony is a disparity of expression and intention: when a speaker says one thing but means another, or when a literal meaning is contrary to its intended effect.For instance, if a speaker exclaims, “I’m not upset! and intended to communicate that she was upset by claiming she was not, the utterance would be verbal irony.

These can often be combined with other figures of speech such as similes, for example:
· as hairy as a bowling ball
· as subtle as a sledgehammer
· as porous as steel
· as bulletproof as a spongecake
The intended audience for such similes must sufficiently understand the concepts involved so as to appreciate that the opposite of the intended meaning is being conveyed.

This is not entirely the same as "Sarcasm" which is ironic, but has the added purpose of the intention to insult or verbally hurt someone else, for example, if your teacher says to you, "Well, you certainly spent a long time on this piece of work!!" while awarding you grade E. Or if you miss a penalty in the last minute of a World Cup Final and your team mates say to you "Well Done" with a look of disdain on their faces.