deadpan

American  

[ded-pan] / ˈdɛdˌpæn /

adjective

1. marked by or accomplished with a careful pretense of seriousness or calm detachment; impassive or expressionless.

   deadpan humor.

2. displaying no emotional or personal involvement.

   a deadpan style.

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adverb

1. in a deadpan manner.

   He spoke his lines utterly deadpan.

verb (used with or without object)

deadpanned, deadpanning

1. to behave or perform in a deadpan manner.

noun

1. a face showing no expression.

2. a style of comedy that relies on the comedian's maintaining such a face.

deadpan British  

/ ˈdɛdˌpæn /

adjective

1. with a deliberately emotionless face or manner

   deadpan humour

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Other Word Forms

• dead panner noun

Etymology

Origin of deadpan

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; dead + pan ¹ (in the slang sense “face”)

Example Sentences

Townsend was particularly deadpan on Thursday and no wonder.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

But Johnson is nothing if not a punchy ringmaster of deadpan humor and his grab-bag mindset generates enough goodwill to appreciate the DIY brashness of it all.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

At the center of it is Curt Cignetti, the deadpan coaching lifer who took a flier on Bloomington in 2023, told Hoosier Nation he wins wherever he goes —“Google me”—and went out and did it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Rapaport barks in the same scene, forcing teammate Ron Funches to deadpan, “You’re playing a game right now.”

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

He said this in such a deadpan way I thought he was joking, and I laughed.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• impassive
• stony