wry Hear it!

wry Definition

wry ()

transitive verb, intransitive verb wried, wry·ing

to writhe or twist

Etymology: ME wrien, to twist, bend < OE wrigian, to turn, twist, akin to OFris wrigia, to bend, stoop < IE *wreik- (> L rica, head veil) < base *wer-, to turn, bend

adjective wrier or wry·er, wri·est or wry·est

  1. Archaic turned or bent to one side; twisted
  2. made by twisting or distorting the features a wry face
  3. Rare distorted, as in meaning
  4. dry, ironic, sardonic, etc. wry humor

wry Related Forms
wryly adverb wry·ness noun
wry Synonyms

wry

modif.

  1. Twisted

    distorted, askew, cockeyed, crooked; see twisted 1.

  2. Perverse

    ironic, twisted, satiric, mocking.

wry Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • smile: LG UK can be forgiven for enjoying a wry smile at the gray buyers ' expense.
  • grin: Dave on drums with wry grin: powerful with perfect attitude.
  • amusement: Not, of course, a happy smile, nor one of wry amusement.
  • humor: This was typical of the play's wry black humor.
  • humor: Irish wedding toasts are well known for their wit and wry humor, their sense of history and tradition.
  • wit: He is an erudite writer, with the wry wit of the man of the world rather than the university wit more common nowadays.

Modifying Another Word

  • sometimes: Both, as we have come to expect from Luke, involved some excellent guitar work with gentle and sometimes wry lyrics.
  • much: There are also some extraordinarily tense, suggestive set-pieces, especially in the bleak final half-hour, and much wry comedy.
  • particularly: His observations on the clientele of gyms are particularly wry.
  • often: His uniqueness as a performer stems from his ability to captivate an audience through a stunning delivery of his perceptive and often wry lyrics.
  • very: For an entertaining evening with some very wry touches this show really is hard to beat.
  • alternately: There wasn't really any plot to this episode, more a sequence of alternately wry and emotionally-charged conversations.

Browse dictionary entries near wry

  1. wrung
  2. wrought-up
  3. wrought iron
  4. wrought
  5. wroth
  6. wrote
  7. wrongly
  8. wrongheaded
  9. wrongful-pregnancy action
  10. wrongful-life action
  1. wryneck
  2. Ws
  3. WSW
  4. wt
  5. WTLS
  6. WTO
  7. Wuchang
  8. Wuhan
  9. Wuhu
  10. wulfenite