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
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As the escape-room activity kicks off — the guests have 30 minutes to find Aesha’s crew — the boys find plenty of opportunity to make insinuating jokes about tying up the girls, some (Coop) more wholesome than others (Luke).
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And as a distant relative jokes, many can be found on mortgages, loans and other debts.
Noun
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And yet for God’s sake, just look at the man—at his dispiriting attempts at humor, his weirdly off-putting outfits, his incessant posting of banalities and faux profundities and extreme-right disinformation on social media.
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But what keeps this show on my perpetual rewatch list is its humor, heart and endless humanity.
Noun
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Fox Sports cameras showed Swift sharing a laugh with Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, in a suite.
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Davidson cowrote each episode, providing plenty of laughs and adding an extra bounce to the show’s hopeful ending.
Noun
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The specific irony of something like an Hermès HAC being categorized as hyperfeminine is that the bag was created in the late 19th century as a carryall for horse riding equipment, much like the rest of the brand’s offerings at the time.
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The irony is that in not trying to pass muster with more conservative theatergoers (and their fastidious institutional guardians), playwrights have been winning over not just critics but also formerly squeamish artistic directors and perennially nervous Broadway producers.
Noun
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Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
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Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.
Noun
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The apocalyptic horror comedy Zombieland (2009) was a box office hit.
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The ceremony was officiated by friend of the couple Adam Sandler, whom Travis Kelce starred alongside in the 2025 comedy Happy Gilmore 2.
Noun
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The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
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This charming witticism might double as a tagline for the season writ large.
Cite this Entry
“Drollery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drollery. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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