as in blank
not expressing any emotion
he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadpan
Duane sets the precedent for what will turn out to be a lengthy comedy career for Walken, delivering wildly ridiculous dialogue with a deadpan expression and at point blank range.
—
Joe Tobal, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2022
Doesn’t the Television Academy see the deadpan delivery and cool millennial style Selena Gomez constantly brings to the table?
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2022
This deadpan dramedy from Finnish director and writer Aki Kaurismäki could be the ultimate anti-Christmas movie.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2022
During episode four, young Wednesday, played with perfect deadpan glee by Jenna Ortega, dominates the dance floor at her boarding school Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave ‘N Ball.
—cleveland, 19 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Joe Tobal, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2022
Doesn’t the Television Academy see the deadpan delivery and cool millennial style Selena Gomez constantly brings to the table?
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2022
This deadpan dramedy from Finnish director and writer Aki Kaurismäki could be the ultimate anti-Christmas movie.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2022
During episode four, young Wednesday, played with perfect deadpan glee by Jenna Ortega, dominates the dance floor at her boarding school Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave ‘N Ball.
—cleveland, 19 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
-
Going to Naples with a ‘blank canvas’ Styler has long had a relationship with Italy, having acted in three films in the country in the 1980s and giving birth to her third child, Eliot, in Pisa in 1990.—
Lucy Handley,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Fraser’s doofus-y blank face essentially requires his co-stars to do all the work and, uh … ain’t no way Ford’s working that hard.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Subjects were shown pictures of two expressionless male faces over and over.—
Elizabeth Preston,
Discover Magazine,
11 Sep. 2012
-
Bale ran to the corner of the pitch, and, having been an expressionless bystander for much of the evening, shouted in ecstasy.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2022
Adjective
-
Despite its enigmatic nature, Rafflesia species have long been used for medicinal purposes by Indigenous Peoples and, more recently, as a source of revenue generated by ecotourism.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Presiding over this enigmatic establishment is La Flaca, the city’s Grim Reaper, who challenges patrons to gamble years of their lives in hopes of altering their destinies.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The tone and point of view were lofty, sharp-eyed, seemingly impassive.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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But the dynamic is unmistakable: one person fully covered, powerful, impassive; the other stripped down, silent, available.—
Jessie Candlin,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Chris is young and eager to impress; Duncan, who’s being reluctantly put out to pasture after this last mission, is jokey and irreverent (not a stretch for Harrelson); and Dave is ultra-serious, conveying authority through his stolid demeanor.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
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Blink Twice nods at a tangle of different contemporary ailments: lifestyle fetishism, wellness hedonism, our obscene fealty to stolid tech bros and their untrammeled wealth.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
6 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to deadpan
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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