wry

1 of 3

verb

ˈrī 

wried; wrying

intransitive verb

: twist, writhe

transitive verb

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

wry

2 of 3

adjective

wryer ˈrī(-ə)r  ; wryest 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 sense 1

4

: cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous

a wry wit

wryly

ˈrī-lē 

adverb

wryness noun

wryness

3 of 3

noun

wry·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being wry

big in the way it treats human beings with a wryness born of compassion

—Eric Goldman

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

Adjective

Bolton’s voice has roughened slightly in the intermeaning decades, now less angelic and more knowingly wry. — David Glickman, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026

At the Irish Arts Center, the choreographer and director Oona Doherty is telling the raw, wry story of her great-great-grandfather, who as a child worked in a slaughterhouse in Belfast. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026

Gaiman’s rollicking novel recalls the wry childhood scares of Roald Dahl in its tale of young Coraline who, while exploring her family’s new apartment, passes through a mysterious door into an alternate version of her home. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2026

The outdoors lent a wry, soulful grandeur to the characters’ expletive-riddled bickering. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for wry

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

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