: showing no feeling or emotion
—used to describe humor that is done or said in a serious way
deadpan humor
a deadpan comedian
the deadpan delivery of his jokes
: a way of saying funny things without showing any feeling or emotion
He tells the joke in his best deadpan.
She's a master of deadpan.
the art of deadpan
deadpans; deadpanned; deadpanning
: to say (something funny) in a way that shows no feeling or emotion
"I went back to doing push-ups again, and this time I almost completed one," he deadpanned.
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/deadpan. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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