DROLLERY Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

drollery

noun

ˈdrōl-rē

Definition of drollery

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

Relevance

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

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drollery

Noun

And honestly, that’s kind of the best joke there is — some classic America’s Funniest Home Videos type stuff.

— Maria Bamford, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Sumaila has a running joke about it, borrowed from an old British comedy about a heist gone wrong.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of joke

Noun

Director Margaret Shigeko Starbuck leans into makeshift theatricality — flashlights, pool noodles, pocket umbrellas — while a nimble ensemble balances meta-theatrical humor with genuine feeling for Pericles and his beleaguered family.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Throughout the financial troubles that the couple face given Fyodor’s inability to deliver pages, Szumowska and Englert feature scatological humor that further dissolves any notions of elegance associated with 19th-century Europe.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of humor

Noun

O’Connell appeared to joke about the marathon applause with Boyle, prompting laughs from his co-stars Claire Foy and Pearce.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Its format — multi-cam, laugh-tracked, with the occasional fourth-wall-breaking aside — is one that would have been in vogue when Martin originally aired.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of laugh

Noun

The one bit of irony is that, despite the rugged features, the SoundLink Max actually sounds better indoors, as the bass thins out if there are no walls for the sound to bounce off of.

— BestReviews, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Standing at two hours and 30 minutes, along with a 15-minute intermission, the narrative plants you in the middle of a world of ironies.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of irony

Noun

Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Many readers — some likely joking — shared their grievances with Elmo.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of joking

Noun

Eisenberg’s playful comedy, which just premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, is sometimes a musical and occasionally a thriller.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
When Fyodor drags himself on the floor, begging for forgiveness or a bit more money to play roulette, the gesture straddles the line between humor and intense discomfort — veering into cringe comedy.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of comedy

Browse Nearby Words

drolleries

drollery

drollness

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Drollery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drollery. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of drollery

noun

Example Sentences

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