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
Verb
That can have the effect of Trump impersonator Sarah Cooper delivering a cartoon TikTok; the humor largely comes from attaching Trump’s utterances to wry new visuals.Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2020
Adjective
But also present are Heyer’s wry humor and deftness in witty badinage. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 If at times the book’s subject matter is complex, particularly for anyone whose last exposure to biology was in high school, the clarity of Mr. Foster’s spirited prose is welcome, as are his wry humor and contagious sense of wonder. A. Roger Ekirch, WSJ, 28 Aug. 2022 In conversation, Kravchenko is measured, circumspect, unsparing in her self-analysis, with flashes of wry humor.New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 The series was co-created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the Māori filmmaker from New Zealand known for depicting the lives of Indigenous people with wry humor. David Treuer, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2022 Much of her music navigates the turbulence of love with a distinct, wry humor. Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 16 June 2022 There’s a touch of wry humor in recipes like Taylor’s barbecue-ready pork chops, which are brined before grilling and garnished with a nutty dukkah. Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 May 2022 In conversation as in her writing, Atwood leavens her sometimes-fatalistic predictions with a slow-drip, wry humor.Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2022 There was a slight pump of the fist and a wry grin. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2022 See More
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