wry

verb \ ˈrī \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: wry in a Sentence

Definition of wry

wried; wrying

intransitive verb

: twist, writhe

transitive verb

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

Origin and Etymology of wry

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

wry

adjective

Definition of wry

wryer play \ˈrī(-ə)r\; wryest play \ˈrī-əst\

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 : wrongheaded 1

4 : cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous

a wry wit

—

wryly

play \ˈrī-lē\ adverb

—

wryness

noun

See wry defined for English-language learners

See wry defined for kids

Examples of wry in a Sentence

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 of wry from the Web

This delicate, intimate chamber piece paints a wry yet poignant portrait of an Egyptian band stranded for a night in an Israeli desert village.

— christopher wallenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Picks and predictions for the Tonys," 8 June 2018
Bourdain recounted his experiences as a famous food personality with his famously wry tone in another memoir, Medium Raw, in 2010.

— rachel king, Fortune, "Anthony Bourdain, Emmy-Winning TV Host, Chef, and Author, Dead at 61," 8 June 2018
As is the tradition at these things, the school orchestra played beautifully, the choir hit all its notes, and the speeches were suitably upbeat and wry.

— robin abcarian, latimes.com, "Good luck, graduates. As you enter college, dream big, have fun, and don't be afraid to talk about mental illness," 5 June 2018
The song serves as a wry critique on gentrification and modern attempts to use wealth to overcome one’s perceived blackness.

— aja romano, Vox, "Pusha T vs. Drake: the long history of rap’s feud of the moment," 31 May 2018
That ambivalence may be the point, but Will & Grace’s wry, airy tone may not be the best vessel for it.

— richard lawson, HWD, "Why L.G.B.T.-Centered TV Is Stuck in the Past," 30 May 2018
Instead, as many of his teammates held their heads in shock and shouted at Joyce, Galarraga looked at the umpire with a wry smile of disbelief.

— si.com staff, SI.com, "Nine Innings: Three Players Limiting the Cubs, Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s Eruption and Ohtani's Filthy Splitter," 29 May 2018
Four or five pages of Laz's enigmatic and wry instructions are also handed out.

— david g. allan, CNN, "The infamous murderer's prison escape that inspired a near-impossible ultramarathon," 26 May 2018
The tone of Gallagher’s set was wry and boisterous before the poignant closer, with the crowd growing increasingly jovial with every passing sing-along -- the perfect warm-up for the main event, and an ideal scenario for all involved.

— hilary hughes, Billboard, "The Rolling Stones Kicked Off a Happy Homecoming Run in London With Liam Gallagher," 23 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.