wry

1 of 2

verb

wried; wrying
Synonyms of wrynext

transitive verb

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

wry

2 of 2

adjective

wryer ˈrī(-ə)r How to pronounce wry (audio) ; wryest ˈrī-əst How to pronounce wry (audio)
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
4
: cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous
a wry wit
wryly adverb
wryness noun

Examples of wry in a Sentence

Adjective 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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Even as his Reddit-haunting admirers still parse his lyrics for hidden meanings, his spirit surely looks down on them with wry amusement at his fans’ unending search for profundity. Alexander Larman, Time, 10 Jan. 2026 So when the Heat coach was asked in the immediate wake of Tuesday night’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves about how to get consistency from second-year center Kel’el Ware, there was a wry smile amid the sting of defeat. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026 But sink into this wry, poignant story and all is forgiven. Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026 Pitching a book as abstruse as Your Name Here as a kind of cash grab is the novel’s wry joke. Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wry

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wry was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wry. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

wry

adjective
ˈrī
wryer
ˈrī(-ə)r
; wryest
ˈrī-əst
1
: bent, twisted, or turned usually abnormally to one side
a wry nose
2
a
: expressing irony
a wry smile
b
: cleverly humorous
a wry remark
wryly adverb
wryness noun

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