Nearby words
Definition for wriest (2 of 2)
wry
[ rahy ]
/ raɪ /
adjective, wri·er, wri·est.
produced by a distortion or lopsidedness of the facial features: a wry grin.
abnormally bent or turned to one side; twisted; crooked: a wry mouth.
devious in course or purpose; misdirected.
contrary; perverse.
distorted or perverted, as in meaning.
bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing: a wry remark.
Origin of wry
1515–25; adj. use of wry to twist, Middle English wryen, Old English wrīgian to go, strive, tend, swerve; cognate with Dutch wrijgen to twist; akin to Old English wrigels, Latin rīcula veil, Greek rhoikós crooked
Related forms
wry·ly, adverbwry·ness, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for wriest
I confronted death with a smile; I meet life with the wriest of wry faces.
Simon the Jester|William J. Locke
British Dictionary definitions for wriest (1 of 2)
British Dictionary definitions for wriest (2 of 2)
wry
/ (raɪ) /
adjective wrier, wriest, wryer or wryest
twisted, contorted, or askew
(of a facial expression) produced or characterized by contorting of the features, usually indicating dislike
drily humorous; sardonic
warped, misdirected, or perverse
(of words, thoughts, etc) unsuitable or wrong
verb wries, wrying or wried
(tr) to twist or contort
Derived Forms
wryly, adverbwryness, nounWord Origin for wry
C16: from dialect wry to twist, from Old English wrīgian to turn; related to Old Frisian wrīgia to bend, Old Norse riga to move, Middle Low German wrīch bent, stubborn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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