droll

[ drohl ]

/ droʊl /

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adjective, droll·er, droll·est.

amusing in an odd way; whimsically humorous; waggish.

noun

a droll person; jester; wag.

verb (used without object)

Archaic. to jest; joke.

Nearby words

droit de suite, droit des gens, droit du seigneur, droitural, droke, droll, drollery, dromedary, dromograph, dromomania, dromon

Origin of droll

1615–25; < Middle French drolle pleasant rascal < Middle Dutch drol a fat little man

SYNONYMS FOR droll

1 diverting, odd, witty.

2, 3 clown.

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ANTONYMS FOR droll

1 serious.

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Related formsdroll·ness, noundrol·ly, adverb

Synonym study

1. See amusing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for droll

And, as the enigmatic front man to an avant garde indie rock group, he is droll, perceptive, and splendidly weird.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And Pratt is at once macho, charming, and droll; a Han Solo for the Facebook generation.
The Next Han Solo: Chris Pratt on His Star-Making Turn in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’|Marlow Stern|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But unlike True Detective it was also droll, playful, quirky, invigorating, and creative.
‘True Detective,’ Obsessive-Compulsive Noir, and ‘Twin Peaks’|Jimmy So|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Truth in Advertising balances the droll with the hopeful and the glib with the heartfelt.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Jan. 7, 2013|Mythili Rao|January 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Ronson himself—inquiring, droll, more than a bit nerdy—is the self-deprecating guide and hero of these adventures.
This Week’s Hot Reads: November 6, 2012|Mythili Rao|November 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The droll things were called the "Little Ease," and seemingly, were intended to create merriment.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 99, Sept. 27, 1890|Various
Yesterday was exactly the sort of a day I love best—a spicy, unexpected, amusing day—crowned with a droll adventure.
The Friendly Road|(AKA David Grayson) Ray Stannard Baker
What more painfully remote from drollery than his efforts to be droll?
The Writings of James Russell Lowell in Prose and Poetry, Volume V|James Russell Lowell
Were she a Frenchwoman she would have said, But, sir, you are droll.
The Message|Louis Tracy
This idea seemed so droll that he could not refrain from smiling.
The Crystal Hunters|George Manville Fenn

British Dictionary definitions for droll

droll

/ (drəʊl) /

adjective

amusing in a quaint or odd manner; comical

Derived Formsdrollness, noundrolly, adverb

Word Origin for droll

C17: from French drôle scamp, from Middle Dutch: imp

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

Word Origin and History for droll

droll

adj.

1620s, from French drôle "odd, comical, funny" (1580s), in Middle French a noun meaning "a merry fellow," possibly from Middle Dutch drol "fat little fellow, goblin," or Middle High German trolle "clown," ultimately from Old Norse troll "giant, troll" (see troll (n.)). Related: Drolly; drollish.

droll

adjective, droll·er, droll·est.

noun

verb (used without object)

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Nearby words

Origin of droll

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for droll

British Dictionary definitions for droll

droll

adjective

Word Origin for droll

Word Origin and History for droll

droll