wry
Americanadjective
-
bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing.
a wry remark.
-
produced by a distortion or lopsidedness of the facial features.
a wry grin.
-
abnormally bent or turned to one side; contorted; crooked.
a wry mouth.
- Antonyms:
- straight
-
devious in course or purpose; misdirected.
-
distorted or perverted, as in meaning.
adjective
-
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
Usage
What does wry mean? Wry commonly means humorous in a way that’s very “dry,” irreverent, ironic, sarcastic, or sardonic. The sense of word is especially used in the terms wry humor and wry wit.This sense of wry is a figurative extension of its literal sense, which means crooked, lopsided, contorted, or distorted. It can also mean contrary or perverse.A wry smile and a wry expression are probably both somewhat contorted and intended to indicate a sense of irony or sarcasm. You might give a wry smile after telling a particularly wry joke (the kind of joke that’s so dry that it’s hard to tell whether it’s a joke).The related word awry can be used as an adverb form of wry or as an adjective meaning wrong in some way (amiss) or slanted or twisted (askew).Example: It takes a while to get used to her wry sense of humor, but she’s not as cynical as she sounds.
Other Word Forms
- wryly adverb
- wryness noun
Etymology
Origin of wry
First recorded in 1515–25; adjective use of obsolete verb 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”
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.
"Not good, man, not good," he replies with a wry smile.
From BBC
Ridley Scott’s 2015 adaptation of Weir’s novel “The Martian” proved the point by turning competence and problem-solving into a mainstream hit with a wry sense of humor.
From Los Angeles Times
Meryl Streep's wry wit as editor of fashion magazine Runway and Anne Hathaway's performance as Andy, the naive newcomer to the fashion world, made the original film a must-watch for millions.
From BBC
My first book stack started in 2020, a wry joke to demonstrate the extra time we could all devote to reading books during a pandemic.
From Los Angeles Times
This time, the pair travel through northern Europe in search of fine food, wry conversation and a glimpse of the elusive aurora borealis.
From BBC
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.
