wry

American  

[rahy] / raɪ /

adjective

wrier, wriest

1. bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing.

   a wry remark.

2. produced by a distortion or lopsidedness of the facial features.

   a wry grin.

3. abnormally bent or turned to one side; contorted; crooked.

   a wry mouth.

   Synonyms:

   askew, awry

   Antonyms:

   straight

4. devious in course or purpose; misdirected.

5. contrary; perverse.

6. distorted or perverted, as in meaning.

---

wry British  

/ raɪ /

adjective

1. twisted, contorted, or askew

2. (of a facial expression) produced or characterized by contorting of the features, usually indicating dislike

3. drily humorous; sardonic

4. warped, misdirected, or perverse

5. (of words, thoughts, etc) unsuitable or wrong

---

verb

1. (tr) to twist or contort

Usage

What does wry mean? Wry commonly means humorous in a way that’s very “dry,” irreverent, ironic, sarcastic, or sardonic. The sense of word is especially used in the terms wry humor and wry wit. This sense of wry is a figurative extension of its literal sense, which means crooked, lopsided, contorted, or distorted. It can also mean contrary or perverse. A wry smile and a wry expression are probably both somewhat contorted and intended to indicate a sense of irony or sarcasm. You might give a wry smile after telling a particularly wry joke (the kind of joke that’s so dry that it’s hard to tell whether it’s a joke). The related word awry can be used as an adverb form of wry or as an adjective meaning wrong in some way (amiss) or slanted or twisted (askew). Example: It takes a while to get used to her wry sense of humor, but she’s not as cynical as she sounds.

Other Word Forms

• wryness
  noun
• wryly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of wry

First recorded in 1515–25; adjective use of obsolete verb wry “to twist,” Middle English wryen, Old English wrīgian “to go, strive, tend, swerve”; cognate with Dutch wrijgen “to twist”; akin to Old English wrigels, Latin rīcula “veil,” Greek rhoikós “crooked”

Explanation

A wry sense of humor is a sarcastic one. You were late for work, stepped into a mud puddle, and you forgot your lunch. If your co-worker asks how your morning is going, you can reply with a wry tone, "Perfectly perfect." The original use for the adjective wry was to describe something that was bent or twisted, so a sprained ankle could be described as "a wry ankle." Today, the word wry is often used to describe less tangible twists. Wry humor and wry wit both describe a sense of humor that is a little twisted from the norm.

Example Sentences

Wry smiles and sense of nostalgia aside, the appearance of crisp packets from the 1960s on a Norfolk beach are a potent a reminder of the longevity of single use plastics.

From BBC • May 16, 2023

Wry asides about fashion being safer than Prozac and fur sales going up simply haven’t dated well, now that an entire generation has come of age in N95s and leisure wear.

From New York Times • Aug. 23, 2022

Wry, adrift, and unable to construct any viable strategy for what she’s trying to accomplish, she languidly caves to other people’s wishes.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 9, 2021

Wry, specific, and at times gut-punchingly earnest, Bridgers’ murmur flows like a steady internal monologue, linking all sorts of disparate experiences through her cracked but startlingly perceptive lens.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2020

One of these wicked youths in Andover was brought before the magistrate, and it was charged that he "Sported and played and by Indecent Gestures and Wry Faces caused laughter and misbehavior in the Beholders."

From Sabbath in Puritan New England by Earle, Alice Morse

Related Words

• droll
• ironic
• mocking
• sardonic
• warped