Sarcasm

What sarcasm means according to Webster is that it is a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain. Basically, it means that words are meant to have an opposite meaning than the original. Sarcasm is usually used to insult, show the irritation or disgust by language. Lastly, it could be a tool for sounding funny or lighten the atmosphere. Typical feature of sarcasm is that people use different intonation.

There are 4 types of sarcasm:

1)      Self-deprecating (people make fun of themselves)

2)      Deadpan (serious tone of voice, difficult recognition)

3)      Brooding (irritated tone of voice, opposite meaning of words)

4)      Juvenile (unpleasant statements that might be annoying)

Examples:

In the first example, Harry Potter is letting his uncle know he thinks very little of his level of intelligence.

"'What were you doing under our window, boy?'
'Listening to the news,' said Harry in a resigned voice.
His aunt and uncle exchanged looks of outrage.
'Listening to the news! Again?'
'Well, it changes every day, you see,' said Harry."

The Big Bang Theory: The Financial Permeability, Season 2

Penny is great at self-deprecating and brooding sarcasm. This is especially funny since most of her intelligent friends are not. See an example of a sarcastic remark toward Sheldon.

Leonard: "Hey, Penny. How's work?"
Penny: "Great! I hope I'm a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory for my whole life!"
Sheldon: "Was that sarcasm?"
Penny: "No."
Sheldon: "Was that sarcasm?"
Penny: "Yes."