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[One of the most] misused words in the entire [English language].

There are several types of irony.

Socratic irony - When someone pretends to be naive about a certain subject, and uses his questions about it to point out a flaw in the established belief.  This is often used on the TV show South Park, where the children often ask questions about a situation until the folly in a parent's decision becomes clear.

Sarcasm - [Understatement], mocking overstatement, or heavy-handed irony (stating the flat opposite of the truth) where both parties are aware of the difference between what's said and what's actually happening.

Situational Irony - The irony that most people think of.  A difference between what you expect to happen (in a story, for example) and what actually happens.  Rain on your wedding day would be a sort-of example, because a wedding day is generally expected to be a perfect, happy day.  The good advice you didn't take, however, would NOT be irony, because that has [nothing to do] with what is expected and what isn't expected.  A [traffic jam] when you're already late wouldn't be irony either; there's no automatic expectation that traffic will be fine, just because you happen to be late.

Irony of Fate - The concept that the Gods, Fates, etc. are toying with humans for amusement by [using] irony.  Beethoven's loss of hearing is a famous example; one would expect a composer to be able to hear his compositions, but fate denied him that ability.

Tragic (Dramatic) Irony - When the audience knows something that some of the characters don't know in a play/movie/novel/whatever. For example, when the horror flick psycho is in the house and the homeowner just goes in without suspecting anything.

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