drollery

noun

ˈdrōl-rē How to pronounce drollery (audio)
Definition of drollerynext
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

Relevance
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

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
  1. joke
  2. humor
  3. laugh
  4. irony
  5. joking
  6. comedy
  7. witticism
Noun
  • But Roth’s it’s-all-a-big-joke attitude here is a cop-out that’s beneath him, a way to avoid making a horror movie that truly engages us.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Write the honest sentence, take the quiet walk, and tell the truth without decorating it for comfort or turning it into a joke today.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Instead of dwelling on the crime, the owners decided to respond with humor, posting the video on Instagram with a mock 0-star review for the burglary crew.
    — Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • There’s just some great drama, incredible special effects and even some nice humor.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • The props team either hated me or loved me, honestly [laughs].
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
  • Haven, in particular, drew many laughs from the audience by playing Lee’s dull boyfriend Peter as a cartoonish surfer boy stereotype.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • In a bit of irony, Jassy’s rigorous comments Thursday night took up all the hyperscalers’ stocks in Friday’s session.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The irony is those same colleges are NCAA members, meaning they’re contractually bound to follow NCAA bylaws that athletes challenge in court.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of irony
Noun
  • Back in December 1968, Dolan wrote a joking column about the earlier Lake Worth monster, from way back in 1947.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
  • Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Definition of joking
Noun
  • The former’s status as a non-comedy comedy has been processed ad nauseam, but Margo makes for a more interesting case as a new show.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The next year, Pastore starred opposite Annabella Sciorra, Ron Eldard and future Sopranos star Aida Turturro in the comedy romance True Love.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of comedy
Noun
  • The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • This charming witticism might double as a tagline for the season writ large.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of witticism

Browse Nearby Words

drolleries
drollery
drollness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drollery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drollery. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on drollery

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drollery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All