wry

1 of 2

verb

wried; wrying

transitive verb

: to pull out of or as if out of proper shape : make awry

wry

2 of 2

adjective

wryer ˈrī(-ə)r How to pronounce wry (audio) ; wryest ˈrī-əst How to pronounce wry (audio)
1
: bent, twisted, or turned usually abnormally to one side
a wry nose
2
: made by a deliberate distortion of the facial muscles often to express irony or mockery
a wry smile
3
4
: cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous
a wry wit
wryly adverb
wryness noun

Examples of wry in a Sentence

Adjective His books are noted for their wry humor. When I asked her how she felt after winning the race, she gave me a wry smile and said, “Pretty tired.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Through a Zoom screen, King radiates compassion and attunement, and Faber is wry and delightfully discursive; both seem like the mom whose house everybody would hang out at after school. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2023 The elder Slay brother had approached life with a wry, dark sense of humor. James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2023 His second album for DeMarco’s Mac’s Record Label, Sweet Dreamin’, is a breezy, nine-song, 24-minute delight led by Crick’s charming piano melodies and wry interpersonal narratives. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 13 Oct. 2023 The setup is familiar, but the film is wry, vivid and moving in unexpected ways — a testament to Jacobs’ singular touch, his gently eccentric blend of comic absurdism and emotional generosity. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Sep. 2023 That, in fact, is what makes this deceptively placid, supremely wry movie so damned moving. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2023 Its tone is wry, almost weary, as if KC is older than her 38 years. Maggie Doherty, The New Republic, 16 June 2023 There’s also wry humor to be found in the Hitchcockian mommy issues that would reach their famous crescendo in Psycho. Chris Vognar, Chron, 19 Apr. 2023 The jokes were wry and nihilistic, disguising a heartfelt earnestness at the story’s core. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wrien, from Old English wrigian to turn; akin to Middle High German rigel kerchief wound around the head, Greek rhiknos shriveled, Avestan urvisyeiti he turns

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wry was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wry

Cite this Entry

“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wry. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wry

adjective
ˈrī
wryer
ˈrī(-ə)r
; wryest
ˈrī-əst
1
: bent, twisted, or turned usually abnormally to one side
a wry nose
2
a
: expressing irony
a wry smile
b
: cleverly humorous
a wry remark
wryly adverb
wryness noun

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