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

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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

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
  • Nathan thinks Joe is teasing him about his cleanliness, and jokes back that Joe hasn’t changed his sheets, either.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • The jokes about a modern couple trapped in a magical town stuck more than 200 years in the past hit the mark with just the right amount of bawdy fun.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Widdecombe’s death has shaken British politics, silencing a longtime conservative voice from Parliament and Europe who later became a Reform UK firebrand remembered by friends for personal warmth and sharp humor.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • The humor—dry, humane, occasionally absurd—is ever-present … The Vermont setting, spare and bracing, acts as a quiet amplifier of these idiosyncrasies, while Mason remains attuned to the natural world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • At Balenciaga, where Pierpaolo Piccioli made his debut with bubble silhouettes that reference an iconic dress by the house founder and chez Jean Paul Gaultier, Duran Lantink had the last laugh—as an enfant terrible is wont to do.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 10 July 2026
  • There are genuine laughs sprinkled in but too many elements land with a thud — including an excessive amount of comedic gore that grows tiresome and a mailman/narrator gag that just isn’t funny.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • One of the ironies of the facility was that, for an ICE jail, actual ICE officers were scarce.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • The irony here is that if the referee had not shown a yellow card to Paredes, the incident could not have been reviewed on the merits of Embolo’s dive alone.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 12 July 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 Breadwinner, a family comedy starring Nate Bargatze and Mandy Moore, is coming to digital streaming this week after the film failed to bring home the bread in theaters.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • The delightful and deceptively deep family mystery comedy stars Hugh Jackman as an English shepherd who is found dead.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 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
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Cite this Entry

“Drollery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drollery. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on drollery

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drollery

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