deadpan
6 synonyms and 3 antonyms for deadpan, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Delivered with a completely blank, unsmiling face and a flat voice, so that the joke lands precisely because the speaker gives no sign of joking.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use deadpan
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
deadpan delivery
deadpan humour
deadpan expression
said deadpan
deadpan wit
Neutral and widely used in criticism and everyday speech. Usually a compliment when applied to comic timing.
Etymology
From dead in the sense 'lifeless, without movement' plus pan, old slang for the face.
Full origin of deadpan →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between deadpan and dry humour?
Deadpan describes the delivery — no expression, no smile, flat tone. Dry humour describes the content — understated, ironic, thrown away rather than pushed. They usually travel together, but you can deliver a broad joke deadpan, and you can deliver dry material with a grin.
What is the difference between deadpan and sarcasm?
Sarcasm means saying the opposite of what you mean, often to sting. Deadpan is a style of delivery that gives nothing away. Sarcasm is frequently deadpan, but a deadpan remark can be entirely sincere in its wording.
Where does the 'pan' in deadpan come from?
Pan was slang for the face, so a deadpan is literally a dead, motionless face. The word arrived in general use through American show business.
