Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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
First Known Use: 14th century
wry
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
wryness
nounExamples 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.”
15th Century
First Known Use of wry
15th century
WRY Defined for English Language Learners
wry
Definition of wry for English Language Learners
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: humorous in a clever and often ironic way
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: showing both amusement and a feeling of being tired, annoyed, etc.
WRY Defined for Kids
wry
playDefinition of wry for Students
wryer
;wryest
1 : funny in a clever or ironic way a wry remark
2 : expressing irony a wry smile
Learn More about wry
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See words that rhyme with wry Spanish Central: Translation of wry Nglish: Translation of wry for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wry for Arabic speakers
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