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 Through a slurry of distorted guitars and deadpan singing, the album brushes against grief, addiction, and abandonment through a layer of gauzy nonchalance. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026 Power brings a warmer and more wayward sensibility to such material than, say, the German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, whose deadpan grids of coal tipples and water towers drained industrial structures of affect. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 23 June 2026 With her signature deadpan sarcasm and round glasses, Daria critiqued suburban life and the insanity of high school popularity contests with wit and honesty. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 22 June 2026 With his signature deadpan humor, Waititi is referencing the book’s beautifully meditative quality. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
  1. blank
  2. expressionless
  3. enigmatic
  4. impassive
  5. stolid
Adjective
  • Although the primary palette used in its design is black and white, the logo is a blank canvas that frequently gets represented in different colors or patterns to match trending London conversations or events, much like Google Doodles.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
  • Ying’s Brentwood hotel room was searched by law enforcement officers, who found that blank manuscripts that were in the style of those missing from UCLA, prosecutors said.
    — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 9 July 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
  • Ho first appeared as the menacing and enigmatic Madame Gao on season 1 of Daredevil in 2015.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026
  • Its authorship, instead, was attributed to an enigmatic group calling itself the Earth Liberation Front.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Riles’s face is impassive, focused, as the announcer reads out the winner.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • Unlike the coolly impassive Pop artists, the Who weren’t afraid to get personal, or to let their art echo the anxious, kinky, maladjusted yammering in their own heads.
    — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Definition of impassive
Adjective
  • Many Labour members hope Burnham’s people skills and charisma can connect with the public more than the stolid, managerial Starmer could ever do.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026
  • Many Labor members hope Burnham’s people skills and charisma can connect with the public more than the stolid, managerial Starmer could ever do.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on deadpan

Nglish: Translation of deadpan for Spanish Speakers

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