as in humorous
causing or intended to cause laughter
made a droll comment about the commencement speaker's penchant for clichés
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in comedian
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor
the drolls of late-night TV had a field day with that senator's sexual shenanigans
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in humorousness
the amusing quality or element in something
fans of Edward Gorey appreciate the delicious drollness of his illustrations of poker-faced individuals caught in macabre situations
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Recent Examples of droll
Sarah Nechamkin, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2024
There are graphic novels with droll, sardonic dialogue.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2025
Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 July 2025
There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for droll
Adjective
Obviously, this is an even less interesting story than the already droll Disgruntled thing, which is hard to believe would catch Geist’s attention, even as a joke.
—Sarah Nechamkin, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2024
There are graphic novels with droll, sardonic dialogue.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
Which is to say the title of Portuguese director João Rosas‘ debut feature isn’t at all ironic: This droll, delightful romantic comedy is an ode to the good times that can be had amid and around heartache, and the healing that eventually comes out of that very conflict.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 July 2025
There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for droll
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droll
Adjective
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Donkey provided comic relief, pathos and friendship to Shrek, with the film praised for its humorous twist on fairy-tale tropes.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Aug. 2025
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This humorous and heartfelt novel traces a decade in the couple’s life together — and Coralie’s own journey toward self-discovery.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While Graham’s channel is comedic in nature, the results are no joke.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Aug. 2025
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To wit, there’s a character-selection menu where players can choose to play as famous stand-ups including Matt Rife, Dave Chappelle, Nikki Glaser, and Shane Gillis, and beside them are various gauges that illustrate their comedic skills.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Charlie Brown has evolved into something nicer In those days, Charles M. Schulz’s comic and its characters were meaner, the humor darker (and, frankly, funnier).—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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Adam Johnson, The Orphan Master’s Son Set in contemporary North Korea, this epic, harrowing, and darkly funny novel follows a man caught in a totalitarian machine.—
Mark Nevins,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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More Getty Images What made his Saturday round at Sedgefield Country Club more amusing was the birdie surge.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
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Also, the British themselves are generally strange and amusing.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Despite the serious circumstances, their investigation still leaves room for Charles' comical bad acting, Oliver's zest to make a great podcast, Mabel's ability to teach them both some Gen Z lingo — and, of course, the murder board.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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An adaptation of a Stephen King short story, The Monkey is led by Theo James playing a pair of twins who are haunted by a toy that causes freak, almost comical, deaths.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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One feature of Spark’s comic genius is her ability to come up with screwball storylines that recapitulate our hapless drift toward final judgment.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2025
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The film’s plot pulls inspiration from the comic storyline of the same name.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes lead a very entertaining rushing attack, and Georgia Tech brings back the man pulling the strings on offense, coordinator Buster Faulkner.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
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Jim, Mike, Joe and Bill were The Dooley Brothers band, as entertaining and durable as any band in the city’s musical history.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Droll.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droll. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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