1
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
the film's sophisticated drolleries will elicit smiles and chuckles even upon repeated viewings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in humor
the amusing quality or element in something
though generally serious, the novel about a seriously dysfunctional family is not without drollery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drollery
In both films, Jarmusch strips away the ironic detachment and deadpan drollery that were part of his signature in the earlier movies that earned him a prominent spot on the American indie map.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
He is played by Ethan Hawke, a mainstay of Linklater’s movies, in a remarkable amalgam of bitterness, exuberance, drollery, tenderness, frustration, and tremendous artistic passion.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Matthew Rankin’s latest surreal comedy, between hilarious drollery and bitter disillusionment.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
But his method is mostly charging into the fray, shouting battle cries or tossing out Australian drollery.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
He is played by Ethan Hawke, a mainstay of Linklater’s movies, in a remarkable amalgam of bitterness, exuberance, drollery, tenderness, frustration, and tremendous artistic passion.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Matthew Rankin’s latest surreal comedy, between hilarious drollery and bitter disillusionment.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
But his method is mostly charging into the fray, shouting battle cries or tossing out Australian drollery.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drollery
Noun
-
Its massive size even became the subject of a joke in the film High Society, in which the actress chose to wear her real-life ring instead of a prop one.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
-
My sister got these jokes and these hands.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ziegler’s humor and sympathy for her characters—including Creon, who desperately wants to do right by everyone—saves the conflict between individual and state from heavy-handedness.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Excerpts from the audiocassettes of Long’s interviews are a strong element of Evans’ doc, and playful music cues underscore the humor and passion that course through this particularly American saga, along with a whole lot of pain.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And yes, because we are blessed with famous weather, whole neighborhoods and districts can risk spilling out into the sidewalks, where laughs get louder, music gets blasted and the street fashion becomes a runway.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Roger, in chains, talks to his captor like an old peer as the two laugh about battles of old, and Roger asks Garp for a favor before dying.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
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The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For a function tasked with designing career frameworks, succession plans, and leadership pipelines for the rest of the organization, the irony is hard to ignore.—
Ruth Umoh,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Bonham, who is running for Douglas County commissioner, acknowledges the irony of resistance to new growth from communities that have experienced their own explosive growth in recent decades.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The initial experience of Shakespeare’s meter leads to a world of discovery of a man who quite literally changed the world with witticisms and insight and has shaped every corner of humanity since the 16th century.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
During Bloomberg’s pursuit of office, a 1990 booklet in which business colleagues had compiled his witticisms surfaced.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Against some audiences’ will, Ari Aster’s merciless black comedy drags us back to May 2020 when tempers, temperatures and misinformation were heating up across America.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Their expertise spans kids, animation, comedy, unscripted, prestige dramas, CBS procedurals and lots of sports.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drollery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drollery. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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