wry
wry Lexical Profile
wry Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Using or expressing dry, especially mocking or ironic, humor.
"The author is celebrated for her wry observations about everyday suburban life."
Turned, twisted, or contorted to one side, especially of a person's face or features in an expression of disgust, disappointment, or irony.
"He gave a wry grimace after tasting the overly bitter coffee."
• verb
To twist, bend, or contort the face or body out of its normal shape or position.
"He wried his mouth in a silent expression of skepticism."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse with the homophone 'rye' (a cereal grain or type of whiskey). The comparative and superlative forms can be spelled either 'wryer'/'wryest' or 'wrier'/'wriest'.
• Rhymes for wry
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Middle English verb 'wrien' (to twist, bend, or turn aside), from Old English 'wrigian' (to turn, incline, or go forward), tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root shared with 'writhe' and 'awry'.