deadpan

adjective

ˈded-ˌpan How to pronounce deadpan (audio)
Definition of deadpannext
as in blank
not expressing any emotion he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of deadpan The deadpan set-up played out in a campaign all the way to Super Bowl 2024 where Cera appeared in a spot for CeraVe. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026 His signature gifts — menace at a whisper, deadpan absurdity, theatrical precision, and the knack for making even the strangest line land like an anvil. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026 The exchange reached millions when George Stern, a former McKinsey consultant, read the texts deadpan to camera, becoming one of his most viral Instagram and TikTok videos. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 His reclusive nature is matched by an almost permanently deadpan expression. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
  1. blank
  2. expressionless
  3. enigmatic
  4. impassive
  5. stolid
Adjective
  • Steel-frame magnetic systems turn that blank panel into a spice wall, utensil rail or paper towel holder without a single hole in a wall or cabinet.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The simple website contains a page that names the seven defendants in Jane Doe’s suit and contains blank boxes that indicate that photos of them will be uploaded —and potentially pages for the men who are facing accusations.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of blank
Adjective
  • The 47-year-old, wearing a blue suit and blue tie, was expressionless as the charges against him were described.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 May 2026
  • The routine calls for this chic, almost expressionless vibe — very different from a typical K-pop performance.
    — Billboard Korea, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025
Definition of expressionless
Adjective
  • Disrupting their lives is an enigmatic woman named Cathy Ames, who Adam marries and who gives birth to Cal and Aron.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • But of the leaders of those three mega-bands, perhaps the most mysterious remains Pete Townshend, The Who’s songwriter and enigmatic eminence, thrashing chords and smashing guitars while Roger Daltrey handled lead vocals.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Then, after walking for a couple of blocks, directing withering sneers at the policeman’s reddish face, which was as impassive as that of a stone idol, Gleb cooled down and succumbed to boredom.
    — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
  • There are melancholic elements, including human characters that can seem lost in their thoughts — impassive and detached from the world.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of impassive
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Leigh—intellectual, magnetic, and capricious—went to finishing school before marrying a stolid, stable lawyer named Herbert Leigh Holman in 1932.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Leading the prosecution were Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham, a pair of stolid assistant district attorneys in structured suits and dark rectangular glasses.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of stolid

Browse Nearby Words

dead-on
deadpan
dead presidents
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Cite this Entry

“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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