wry

[ rahy ]

adjective

, wri·er, wri·est.

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

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈwryness, noun
• ˈwryly, adverb

Other Words From

• wry·ly adverb
• wry·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wry¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of wry¹

C16: from dialect wry to twist, from Old English wrīgian to turn; related to Old Frisian wrīgia to bend, Old Norse riga to move, Middle Low German wrīch bent, stubborn

Example Sentences

Making sense of her life on the page, deploying raw emotion alongside humor and wry mischief, has long been a Bechdel pursuit.

From The Daily Beast

The quick-cut trailer suggests a soft-core romp with dramatic intrigue and wry one-liners.

From The Daily Beast

I looked at parts of it," he says, adding with wry self-deprecation, "I didn't see much benefit in comparing myself to Marlon.

From The Daily Beast

Her wry, progressive grandmother Oleanna Redwyne (Diana Rigg)—the real power behind the House Tyrell.

From The Daily Beast

But Beard was, as Beard would have put it, "wry," which is the word people like Beard use when they mean funny.

From The Daily Beast

Gwynne made a wry face as he sat down before the dressing-table that he might reflect his visage while he brushed his hair.

From Project Gutenberg

Janet made a wry face and with the greatest care eased herself into a chair piled with cushions.

From Project Gutenberg

To admire these same views, is it not admiring without knowing wry?

From Project Gutenberg

Genevieve made a wry face; then, meeting Mrs. Kennedy's reproving eye, she colored.

From Project Gutenberg

King OLeary made a wry face, and ran his hand nervously through his hair.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• droll
• ironic
• mocking
• sardonic
• warped