wry

1 of 2

verb

wried; wrying

transitive verb

: to pull out of or as if out of proper shape : make awry

wry

2 of 2

adjective

wryer ˈrī(-ə)r How to pronounce wry (audio) ; wryest ˈrī-əst How to pronounce wry (audio)
1
: bent, twisted, or turned usually abnormally to one side
a wry nose
2
: made by a deliberate distortion of the facial muscles often to express irony or mockery
a wry smile
3
4
: cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous
a wry wit
wryly adverb
wryness noun

Examples of wry in a Sentence

Adjective His books are noted for their wry humor. When I asked her how she felt after winning the race, she gave me a wry smile and said, “Pretty tired.”
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
The Reddit user, who goes by u/HungrymanH, shared a photo of what appears to be a practically empty red-eye flight and offered a wry take on the airline's rationale. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 Kotsay paused with a wry look on his face. Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025 The subtlety of Akerman’s concept and the wry tenderness of her approach are, however, merely a start. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025 The movie is a wry look at the petty foibles of life, the fears and neuroses that can impede a person’s path to fulfillment and enlightenment. Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wry

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wrien, from Old English wrigian to turn; akin to Middle High German rigel kerchief wound around the head, Greek rhiknos shriveled, Avestan urvisyeiti he turns

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wry was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wry. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

wry

adjective
ˈrī
wryer
ˈrī(-ə)r
; wryest
ˈrī-əst
1
: bent, twisted, or turned usually abnormally to one side
a wry nose
2
a
: expressing irony
a wry smile
b
: cleverly humorous
a wry remark
wryly adverb
wryness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wry

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!