adjective

wry

reye

adjective

Dryly humorous, often in a way that shows you know a situation is awkward or difficult; ironic.

"She gave a wry smile when the waiter tripped over her own joke about clumsy service."

"He made a wry comment about how the meeting could have been an email."

Twisted or bent out of the normal, straight shape, especially describing a face or expression.

"His mouth twisted into a wry, lopsided grin."

"The old sign hung at a wry angle after the storm."

How to Use Wry

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA wry remark or smile is dry, ironic, and a bit knowing — humor that pokes at something without being loud about it.

Common mistake

Don't confuse "wry" with "rye" (the grain/bread) — they sound identical but are unrelated.

Easily confused with

rye →

Common pairings

a wry smile wry humor a wry sense of humor

Word Forms

wrier comparative, wryer comparative, wried past tense, wried past tense, wries singular, wries singular, wriest superlative, wryest superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She gave a _____ smile when the waiter tripped over her own joke about clumsy service.

Etymology

From Old English wrīgian, "to turn or twist," related to the word wriggle — the sense drifted from a literally twisted face to a twisted, ironic sense of humor.

Rhymes for wry

awry dowry lowry

See all rhymes for wry →