droll
[drohl]
- amusing in an odd way; whimsically humorous; waggish.
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- a droll person; jester; wag.
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- Archaic. to jest; joke.
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Origin of droll
1615–25; < Middle French drolle pleasant rascal < Middle Dutch drol a fat little man
Synonyms
See more synonyms for droll on Thesaurus.com1. diverting, odd, witty. 2, 3. clown.
Synonym study
1. See amusing.
Antonyms
1. serious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for droll
Contemporary Examples
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
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
But unlike True Detective it was also droll, playful, quirky, invigorating, and creative.
Truth in Advertising balances the droll with the hopeful and the glib with the heartfelt.
Ronson himself—inquiring, droll, more than a bit nerdy—is the self-deprecating guide and hero of these adventures.
Historical Examples
Rulledge demanded, with a resentment which we felt so droll in him that we laughed.
Questionable ShapesWilliam Dean Howells
Provost was tall, his silvery hair was blown about, and he had a droll face.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
Whereat they said how droll, how cheerful, what a flow of spirits!
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
It may seem a droll idea; but see what progress has been made already.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
"But go and see that droll dog," the little man persisted, calling after him.
A Tale of Two CitiesCharles Dickens
droll
- amusing in a quaint or odd manner; comical
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Word Origin
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
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Word Origin and History for 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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper