WRY Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

wry

adjective

Definition of wry

as in sarcastic

marked by the use of clever and often dark humor The writer had a wry wit that was something of an acquired taste.

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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 wry Kincaid documented the wry, rueful conditions of colonialism and made a request of one of Britain’s most famous fictional characters. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 The headlong pacing allows nary a breather, though there are enough wry notes, character quirks and offbeat details (remote-control doors, goats, a knife fight on a waterbed) to prevent macho monotony from setting in. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 Neill was remembered as a wry friend and gentleman by friends, entertainment industry folks and New Zealanders who knew him. — Brittany Levine Beckman, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 With his rugged handsomeness and wry sense of humor, Neill built an almost-50-year career playing heroes and villains, freaks and geniuses. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry

Adjective

The other sarcastic superhero-ed character that makes a few cameos in the film has their own connection to Spider-Man – again, centered on loneliness and eventually learning to open up from their own recent film.

— Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
In the present, Lara meets Mari, a sarcastic and blunt high school tomboy who competes as a boxer.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Adjective

The problem, of course, is that this newfound speed arrived in a world whose lighting technology had not quite caught up with the idea of vehicles moving at more than a brisk trot.

— Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Sales have been brisk for state lottery games after a brief period where inflation apparently caused consumers to dial back purchases of scratch-off tickets.

— Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Definition of brisk

Adjective

Another drone created a smoke screen while still more blasted through triple-layered barbed wire.

— Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026
The train station hulked behind barbed wire, abandoned for years, both witness to and eight million bricks’ worth of evidence of Detroit's near-collapse.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

Definition of barbed

Adjective

In this cynical age, our local registrars of voters, usually one from each party, remain respected public officials.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
The novel follows Lila Dixon, an acerbic, cynical baseball scout living a dreary and closed-off life in her 30s.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of cynical

Adjective

The pacing is more frenetic, the narration more biting, the flashbacks more jarring, and the comedowns much harsher.

— Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026

Definition of biting

Adjective

In an interview with the ECB website, Root was keen to pay tribute to Stokes, one of his closest friends, but acknowledged that the team would need to reassess its approach under Fleming.

— Andrew Fifield, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
The site produces material used to make magnets that are essential for defense manufacturing, which the US is keen to secure.

— Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of keen

Adjective

The post is also ironic given what Musk had just told The Economist.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 29 July 2026
That’s a striking claim — and an ironic one, since outsourcing your thinking is arguably exactly the point of using AI, of which Microsoft is a leading vendor.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 July 2026

Definition of ironic

Adjective

Providing supplemental irrigation during dry periods to reduce drought stress.

— Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 31 July 2026
In just a few weeks, guests at this West 39th Street sandwich shop and wine bar can transport themselves to a Tuscan restaurant with homemade schiacciata bread, Italian meats and cheeses, and a dry white.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026