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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
  • In their new home, the past clings to Everton; restless, a bad joke, craving more, loud, glorious.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The vice president warned during the event that her threat was not a joke.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Abrams is fantastic as the bumbling protagonist, and Cregger injects a healthy dose of humor, gore, Easter eggs, and scares into the new adaptation.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • While audiences will find plenty of humor in this film, its subject matter is serious—as is Wilson.
    — Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • Additionally, Richard Kind as the mayor’s put-upon press secretary also generates laughs.
    — Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • On the set of Ryan Murphy’s retelling of that story, however, his cast managed to get in lots of laughs.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • But there’s an irony here, in that the movie then punches down on Marjorie and her co-conspirators in turn.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Gellerbrant said her posts were taken out of context and were meant as irony and sarcasm.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of irony
Noun
  • Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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
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 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on drollery

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drollery

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