Origin:
1515–25; adj. use of wry to twist, Middle English wryen, Old English wrīgian to go, strive, tend, swerve; cognate with Dutch wrijgen to twist; akin to Old English wrigels, Latin rīcula veil, Greek rhoikós crooked
1515–25; adj. use of wry to twist, Middle English wryen, Old English wrīgian to go, strive, tend, swerve; cognate with Dutch wrijgen to twist; akin to Old English wrigels, Latin rīcula veil, Greek rhoikós crooked
Related forms
wry·ly, adverb
wry·ness, noun
Synonyms
2. awry, askew.
2. awry, askew.
Antonyms
2. straight.
2. straight.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To wry
00:10
Wry
is an SAT word you need to know.
So is raconteur. Does it mean:
| bitter resentment or ill will; hatred or malice |
| a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
wry (raɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj , wrier, wriest, wryer, wryest | |
| 1. | twisted, contorted, or askew |
| 2. | (of a facial expression) produced or characterized by contorting of the features, usually indicating dislike |
| 3. | drily humorous; sardonic |
| 4. | warped, misdirected, or perverse |
| 5. | (of words, thoughts, etc) unsuitable or wrong |
| —vb , wrier, wriest, wryer, wryest, wries, wrying, wried | |
| 6. | (tr) to twist or contort |
| [C16: from dialect wry to twist, from Old English wrīgian to turn; related to Old Frisian wrīgia to bend, Old Norse riga to move, Middle Low German wrīch bent, stubborn] | |
| 'wryly | |
| —adv | |
| 'wryness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
wry
1520s, "distorted, somewhat twisted," from obs. verb wry "to contort, to twist or turn," from O.E. wrigian "to turn, bend, move, go," from P.Gmc. *wrig- (cf. O.Fris. wrigia "to bend," M.L.G. wrich "turned, twisted"), from PIE *wreik- "to turn" (cf. Gk. rhoikos "crooked," Lith. raisas "paralysed"), from
base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). Of words, thoughts, etc., from 1599. The original sense is preserved in awry.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
For some reason that wry comment from an old, experienced priest made the rest of the day easy.
He also reminded me a lot of my then recently deceased father, someone who also had a wry sense of humor and who loved research.
There is something wry about that little smile in the mountains, something smug and self-congratulatory.
His books are laced with a wry humor and have a literary quality matched by few.
Related Searches
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
