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

And as an accomplished narrative filmmaker and documentarian, Loznitsa unveils deft homages to Jacques Tati and Roy Andersson, deadpan directors who reduce human behavior to its base movements.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

“End of Beginning” doesn’t appear in the show, but Keery is a perennial fan favorite, thanks to his gravity-defying hair and deadpan one-liners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 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

And despite his often deadpan demeanour and the pressure he is under, political commentators in Belgium say De Wever seems to be enjoying holding cards on the EU stage.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

“Hey, Aech,” I said, trying to deadpan it.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• impassive
• stony