: marked by an impassive matter-of-fact manner, style, or expression
a deadpan comedy
: in a deadpan manner : without emotion : blankly
Larry David started out in the 1970s doing stand-up in comedy clubs such as Catch a Rising Star, where if he came out on stage and did not like the audience he would stare at them deadpan … and walk off.—
Lee Siegel
Lee Siegel"A sex and violence weekend?" "That's two weekend ideas, actually," Derbin replies deadpan.—Judith Miller
Judith Miller1
: a deadpan manner of behavior or presentation
2
: a completely expressionless face
Examples of deadpan in a Sentence
Adjective
he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious
Noun
He tells the joke in his best deadpan.
She's a master of deadpan.
Verb
“I went back to doing push-ups again, and this time I almost completed one,” he deadpanned.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Like Bong, Park has a very deadpan way with sarcasm, and the opening sequence is simply dripping with it: paper company safety executive You Man-su (Lee) is celebrating his wife’s birthday by barbecuing rare, delicious eel steaks, a gift from work to mark 25 years of service.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Larry deadpans when Jeff arrives in full cowboy attire.
—Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
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Adjective
But Enyedi is a master stylist who knows how to create a certain mood, mixing visual poetry with deadpan humor, and big ideas with quotidian foibles, in a film that explores our mysterious relationship with both the green world and one another.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Naturally, all this is carried off with staggering deadpan, with millions in cash in play.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Like Bong, Park has a very deadpan way with sarcasm, and the opening sequence is simply dripping with it: paper company safety executive You Man-su (Lee) is celebrating his wife’s birthday by barbecuing rare, delicious eel steaks, a gift from work to mark 25 years of service.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Wednesday deadpans before the two are transported to a surreal dreamscape featuring a giant gorgon-head fireplace.
—Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Larry deadpans when Jeff arrives in full cowboy attire.
—Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadpan. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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