For many years I thought the difference between facetiousness and sarcasm was that sarcasm meant the words were literally the opposite of the intended meaning and facetiousness referred to a statement, that at face value seems like sarcasm, but the words taken literally are still true.
Example:
Person A: "Oh yeah, loading the fridge on top of the car will definitely work."
Person B: "We're gonna need some really strong ropes."
In this scenario, Person A is being sarcastic and doesn't support the decision to load the fridge on top of the car. Person B is being (what I used to understand as) facetious in that they are voicing disagreement with the idea, but making a (jokingly) true statement about the ropes needed for the idea to succeed.
According to dictionary.com:
Facetious:
- not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark.
- amusing; humorous.
- lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous:
What is the word for when a statement isn't meant to be taken seriously, but is literally true?
Best Answer
There's a word custom-tailored to this very situation:
Macmillan, sense 1