wry

verb \ ˈrī \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 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

The wry observational comedian is unfailingly funny, and one of the better family-friendly acts.

— peter hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, "Peter Hartlaub’s pop culture and comedy picks, June 3," 31 May 2018
An omniscient Will Rogers comments not just on today’s news (including wry remarks concerning Scott Pruitt, President Trump and Special Counsel Robert Mueller) but on his own tragic death in a 1935 plane crash at the age of 55.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "David Lutken Tames a Wild, Woolly 'Will Rogers Follies'," 3 May 2018
Mueller said, flashing a wry grin and popping a toothpick into his mouth triumphantly.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Saturday Night Live," 12 Mar. 2018
And that is what brings me back: the people and their singular blend of melancholy and exuberance, as well as a wry humor that typically greets every setback.

— mary kaye schilling, Town & Country, "Discovering the Culture of Mexico City," 18 Oct. 2016
The artist has built a fantastical immersive environment inside the museum’s Grand Avenue location inspired by aspects of Afrofuturism and colloquial signifiers of black identity — a wry re-imagining of the white cube.

— carolina a. miranda, latimes.com, "Datebook: A closeup of dust, artistry of the Black Panther Party and celebrating the male physique," 5 July 2018
Carlos Alfaro said with a wry smile while watching the match.

— atreya verma, azcentral, "World Cup Round of 16: Pancho Villa's Army celebrates as Mexico advances," 27 June 2018
This is a good deal better than your typical 60 Minutes segment, registering as autobiography as well as investigative reporting, and Wilcha's wry intelligence kept me glued to the screen.

— patrick friel, Chicago Reader, "Chicagoans / Comedy / Film / LGBTQ+ / Music / On Video Chicago Underground Film Festival at 25: A look back," 4 June 2018
Likethumb_up3 Replyreply Linklink Copy Reportflag drinker of the wry7 hours ago Chad operated hundreds of miles in Niger from this incident and never backed us up on an ISIS mission.

— amanda erickson, Washington Post, "The Islamic State released a video of a deadly attack of U.S. soldiers. Here’s why it matters.," 5 Mar. 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.