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
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”
Explanation
A wry sense of humor is a sarcastic one. You were late for work, stepped into a mud puddle, and you forgot your lunch. If your co-worker asks how your morning is going, you can reply with a wry tone, "Perfectly perfect." The original use for the adjective wry was to describe something that was bent or twisted, so a sprained ankle could be described as "a wry ankle." Today, the word wry is often used to describe less tangible twists. Wry humor and wry wit both describe a sense of humor that is a little twisted from the norm.
Vocabulary lists containing wry
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 8
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Mr. Ross’s wry observations—low-key, grounded and personal—contrast with the blown-out mix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
It’s a wistful, country-folk paean that offers both a wry yet realistic assessment of the disposition of collections someone leaves the planet.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
"I've learned how to do everything with one leg, except to be able to use a wheelbarrow," said Williams with a wry smile.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Rams castaway Cooper Kupp still boasts an unexpected wry sense of humor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Eril-Fane was listening with wry amusement, and Azareen, too, who was perhaps more to him than his second-in-command, though Lazlo couldn’t work out the nature of their relationship.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
The wrier is president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 3, 2023
Associated Press wrier Sophia Bollag contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 7, 2018
These idiosyncratic artworks, which displayed a wrier side of his personality, were not seen by the public until after Geisel’s death in 1991.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2018
There is no heir apparent to Ms. Winfrey; while Ellen DeGeneres is beloved, her tone is wrier.
From New York Times ● Nov. 15, 2010
“In it, a lord asks a lady if she’ll love him, and she replies ambiguously: ‘I cannot hate.’” wriest McInnis.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 6, 2016
I confronted death with a smile; I meet life with the wriest of wry faces.
From Simon the Jester by William John Locke
"That's a perfectly good wish plumb wasted," said Penfield, refilling both glasses, his features twisted in the wriest of grimaces.
From The Day of Days An Extravaganza by Arthur William Brown
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.
