deadpan
Americanadjective
-
marked by or accomplished with a careful pretense of seriousness or calm detachment; impassive or expressionless.
deadpan humor.
-
displaying no emotional or personal involvement.
a deadpan style.
adverb
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
a face showing no expression.
-
a style of comedy that relies on the comedian's maintaining such a face.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deadpan
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; dead + pan 1 (in the slang sense “face”)
Explanation
Use the word deadpan to describe someone who uses no expression when speaking, such as the deadpan way some comedians deliver even their funniest jokes — which can make them even funnier. Deadpan dates to 1928, when pan was slang for "face." So if you seem to have a "dead face" as you say something, it means your face looks very blank — no energy or animation. Deadpan is associated with sarcasm, and like sarcasm, if you use it for comic effect, there's a risk your audience won't pick up on it. Nevertheless, deadpan humor can be funny and popular — witness the success of deadpan humor in the sitcom Seinfeld.
Vocabulary lists containing deadpan
The Hate U Give
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The Egypt Game
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Every Day
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Every robot that faceplanted, lost a limb, or disintegrated in a spray of sparks was borne away on a stretcher by human attendants with deadpan solicitude.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
Like Mr. McElwee, Mr. Wilson serves as his own deadpan narrator, though he’s often a little more deliberate a comedian.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
He shows a meme featuring former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in traditional attire, standing with his hands on his hips and staring deadpan into the camera.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Their approach hinged on leaning into Frazier’s deadpan tone and taking the concept more seriously.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
“You’d think someone farted, the way you’re all getting on,” Lana said with a deadpan look.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Blunt deadpanned: "Well, look, if you go early, I'll wear your outfits."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“Eternity is long,” she deadpanned, drawing laughs from the crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
"Celebrity Traitors managed to turn Alan Carr into a manipulative serial killer," host Greg Davies deadpanned, adding: "We all know he's a good person".
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
“The award for Most Editing goes to CBS News,” she deadpanned.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2026
“I look like a demented carbonated fountain,” he deadpanned.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
“They obviously have a great fan base,” Sean McVay said Monday during a videoconference with reporters before deadpanning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2025
Statham is less violent here than in previous Ritchie outings, but he remains unflappable, which is why he charms as he disarms with his patented deadpanning and action moves.
From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2023
After six seasons swilling whiskey and deadpanning, the sweater-wearing title character of this animated Hollywood satire is putting down the reins.
From New York Times ● Jan. 31, 2020
Yogi relented, deadpanning, “O.K., fine, make it like mine.”
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 16, 2019
Stewart won some laughter after deadpanning: “I couldn’t hear you. Can you say that again?”
From Washington Post ● Sep. 14, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
