wry

[ rahy ]

adjective

, wri·er, wri·est.

1. bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing:

   a wry remark.

2. produced by a distortion or lopsidedness of the facial features:

   a wry grin.

3. abnormally bent or turned to one side; contorted; crooked:

   a wry mouth.

   Synonyms: askew, awry

   Antonyms: straight

4. devious in course or purpose; misdirected.
5. contrary; perverse.
6. distorted or perverted, as in meaning.

wry

/ raɪ /

adjective

1. twisted, contorted, or askew
2. (of a facial expression) produced or characterized by contorting of the features, usually indicating dislike
3. drily humorous; sardonic
4. warped, misdirected, or perverse
5. (of words, thoughts, etc) unsuitable or wrong

verb

1. tr to twist or contort

Derived Forms

• ˈwryness, noun
• ˈwryly, adverb

Other Words From

• wry·ly adverb
• wry·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wry¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of wry¹

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

Example Sentences

Even at its most brooding, “Gemini” is enlivened by amusing wordplay and Heynderickx’s wry delivery.

From New York Times

After 70-plus years in the performing arts, it seems like everyone who works with Squibb, now 95, walks away admiring her wry comic timing, naturalistic delivery and preparation.

From Los Angeles Times

“Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it,” she said, with a wry chuckle.

From Los Angeles Times

Martha Stewart doesn't do warts, but Cutler edits a wry irony into the artful coverage she dabs on her blemishes, like her refusal to count her marital infidelity as equivalent to that of her husband.

From Salon

“The plan is to drill just short of the magma itself, possibly poke it a little bit,” says Bjarni Pálsson with a wry smile.

From BBC

Related Words

• droll
• ironic
• mocking
• sardonic
• warped

More About Wry

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.

Where does wry come from?

The first records of the word wry as an adjective come from around the 1520s. It comes from the Old English wrīgian, meaning “to turn”—wry was first used in English as a verb meaning “to twist,” but this sense has since fallen out of use.

The words twisted and warped can be used as synonyms for literal sense of wry and as informal synonyms for its figurative sense—a wry sense of humor is often a twisted or warped one. Wry humor is often very dry, meaning it’s expressed in a straight-faced, matter-of-fact way. That’s why you might need to follow it up with a wry smile to let the person know that you’re making a joke.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to wry?

• wryly (adverb)
• wryness (noun)

What are some synonyms for wry?

• sarcastic
• sardonic
• dry
• twisted
• warped
• askew

What are some words that share a root or word element with wry? 

• awry

What are some words that often get used in discussing wry?

• smile
• humor
• wit
• expression
• remark
• comment
• joke

How is wry used in real life?

Wry is usually used to describe a particular type of ironic humour.

A smart, honest & dedicated public servant with a wry sense of humor, he built #EPA — and then returned to it to stop the hemorrhaging under very difficult circumstances.
He was also a hero of the Saturday Night Massacre.
RIP, Bill Ruckelshaus, a man who made government work. https://t.co/Ony9MTSGRL

— Dan Fagin (@danfagin) November 27, 2019

Seguin also responded with a wry smile and was clearly screwing around. It was far from an "anti-analytics" moment.

— John Matisz (@MatiszJohn) September 15, 2020

Beyond thrilled to have an advance copy of this “witty, wry, and wonky” little mycological treasure. Available everywhere October 29 – and keep an eye out for a Lawrence Millman mushroom talk near you this fall. Full tour dates to coming soon. pic.twitter.com/oYCZmeVHaD

— Sara H-S (@shsnaps) August 16, 2019

 

 

Try using wry!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of wry?

A. twisted
B. straightforward
C. warped
D. crooked