deadpan
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.
in a deadpan manner: He spoke his lines utterly deadpan.
to behave or perform in a deadpan manner.
a face showing no expression.
a style of comedy that relies on the comedian's maintaining such a face.
Origin of deadpan
1word story For deadpan
Other words from deadpan
- dead panner, noun
Words Nearby deadpan
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use deadpan in a sentence
Her vocal-fry-inflected monotone that Kardashian fans know and love, perfect for delivering deadpan insults like, “Kim, there’s people that are dying,” is simply not meant to land corny Netflix jokes.
‘He’s All That’ Proves Addison Rae and Kourtney Kardashian Can’t Act | Jordan Julian | August 27, 2021 | The Daily BeastA double mastectomy and a life-threatening intestinal infection later, Notaro’s ability to turn painful situations into laughable onstage anecdotes with almost deadpan perfection has held her in great stead.
This is where Jim Halpert turns to the camera with a deadpan expression.
If you’ve seen Andersson’s 2014 A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, you’ll be prepared for this movie’s dandelion puffs of off-kilter humor, and for its deadpan exploration of the textures of everyday living.
Roy Andersson's Quietly Gorgeous About Endlessness Explores Questions for Which There Are No Answers | Stephanie Zacharek | April 29, 2021 | Time“I’m patient because I cannot really run fast, and that’s my only option,” he said, with a deadpan.
Nikola Jokić Is A Tortoise, And He’s Beating All Of The Hares | Chris Herring (chris.herring@fivethirtyeight.com) | September 24, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
The Garfield specials are also unique for their deadpan delivery and oftentimes bleak worldview.
Garfield Television: The Cat Who Saved Primetime Cartoons | Rich Goldstein | November 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut something about the cover image—four deadpan dudes against a robin's-egg blue background—spoke to me, I guess.
Remembering Weezer’s ‘The Blue Album,’ A Garage Rock Classic, on Its 20th Anniversary | Andrew Romano | May 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut he had his own defenses, a great off-hand resilience and a deadpan humor, and he survived.
What It Was Like to Watch the Beatles Become the Beatles—Nik Cohn Remembers | Nik Cohn | February 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHow could the deadpan-hilarious prince of SNL and 30 Rock turn in such a boring late-night talk show debut?
“I could tell you missed me more than I missed you,” Tom says, deadpan.
Matt & Tom Berninger on The National’s Doc ‘Mistaken for Strangers’ | Melissa Leon | April 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHalfway across the lobby, a tall swarthy man with one of those deadpan faces rose to greet him.
She continued to stare, deadpan and blank-eyed, with no answering flicker of a smile.
The Stars, My Brothers | Edmond HamiltonSuzanne looked closely at him—he was so deadpan, it was hard to tell what was on his mind.
Makers | Cory Doctorow
British Dictionary definitions for deadpan
/ (ˈdɛdˌpæn) /
with a deliberately emotionless face or manner: deadpan humour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse