MEANING
1. Expressing restrained irony or humor, often mixed with discomfort or disappointment.
2. Twisted, bent, or drawn to one side.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- a wry smile
- a wry observation
On the page
A wry smile was all the answer she gave to the grand introduction.
His wry observation made the failure bearable without making it small.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- wry
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: Comparative more wry; superlative most wry where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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