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:
Amelia Dimoldenberg is the queen of the deadpan silence.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Sarah Howden’s deadpan picture book asks, why not a pickle?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
With the Deep’s deadpan delivery, for instance, Crawford felt free to lean into his natural comedic timing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Townsend was particularly deadpan on Thursday and no wonder.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
I don’t have the energy or acting skills to make my voice sound chirpy, like I want to, so my delivery is totally deadpan, which I suppose fits with how I feel.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
"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
As I fended off allegations of greatness, Yang deadpanned: “Chicken is 75% luck. The tile gods were on your side.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
“It’s part of our job now,” she deadpanned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
“The award for Most Editing goes to CBS News,” she deadpanned.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2026
“That’s just small potatoes, Mama. Let’s pray for something big,” Mary Anne deadpanned.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
He got more lighthearted as the band settled in, tussling with Louis Tomlinson in onstage water fights and deadpanning in a banana costume on a European tour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024
Statham ... 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
At one point, a brief but delectable sight gag has the street urchins deadpanning through a window, wearing sunglasses, while Seymour sings about a solar eclipse.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 24, 2019
Yogi relented, deadpanning, “O.K., fine, make it like mine.”
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 16, 2019
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.
