WRYNESS Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

wryness

noun

Definition of wryness

as in whimsicality

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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 wryness The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth. — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wryness

Noun

There’s some irony with attorneys representing college athletes, who for a long time were denied compensation opportunities by NCAA rules, not themselves being paid for their labor in litigation against the NCAA.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 July 2026
But in one of the cruelest ironies in rock history, Berry suffered a devastating car crash not far from the actual Dead Man’s Curve in Los Angeles on April 12, 1966.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026

Definition of irony

Noun

How much funnier Shakespeare’s motley crew can be when we’re allowed to discover the variety of eccentricity and ludicrousness on display for ourselves.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Well, the Premier League table is definitely worth looking at, if only to marvel at its ludicrousness.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Definition of ludicrousness

Noun

What began as a bold social satire — blending visceral action with a critique of corporate greed, privatization, and the nature of identity — has resonated across generations, spawning sequels, television series, video games and comic books.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Ambitiously reaching past satire toward psychological revelation, the play piles on plot twists but offers thin, inconsistent character work and a retrograde climax, leaving its portrait of American familial dysfunction strangely underpowered.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of satire

Noun

There’s a point every summer when just about any of us could use a dose of ridiculousness.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026
Foreigners are visiting the United States, having fun, finding joy in the ridiculousness of American abundance and telling the internet about it.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Definition of ridiculousness

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“Wryness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wryness. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of wryness

noun

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