wry - Definitions from Dictionary.com

10 results for: wry

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

wry

–adjective, wri·er, wri·est.

1.	produced by a distortion or lopsidedness of the facial features: a wry grin.

2.	abnormally bent or turned to one side; twisted; crooked: a wry mouth.

3.	devious in course or purpose; misdirected.

4.	contrary; perverse.

5.	distorted or perverted, as in meaning.

6.	bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing: a wry remark.

[Origin: 1515–25; adj. use of wry to twist, ME wryen, OE wrīgian to go, strive, tend, swerve; c. D wrijgen to twist; akin to OE wrigels, L rīcula veil, Gk rhoikós crooked

]

—Related forms

wryly, adverb

wryness, noun

—Synonyms 2. awry, askew.

—Antonyms 2. straight.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
wry

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

wry Audio Help (rī) Pronunciation Key
adj. wri·er (rī'ər) or wry·er, wri·est (rī'ĭst) or wry·est

Dryly humorous, often with a touch of irony.
Temporarily twisted in an expression of distaste or displeasure: made a wry face.
Abnormally twisted or bent to one side; crooked: a wry nose.
Being at variance with what is right, proper, or suitable; perverse.

[From Middle English wrien, to turn, from Old English wrīgian; see wer-² in Indo-European roots.]

wry'ly adv., wry'ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
wry (adj.)

1523, "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 in awry.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

wry
adjective
1.	humorously sarcastic or mocking; "dry humor"; "an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely"; "an ironic novel"; "an ironical smile"; "with a wry Scottish wit" [syn: dry]
2.	bent to one side; "a wry neck"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
wry [rai] adjective

slightly mocking
Example: a wry smile

Arabic:	بابْتِسامَةٍ ساخِرَه
Chinese (Simplified):	撇嘴；苦笑
Chinese (Traditional):	撇嘴；苦笑
Czech:	ironický
Danish:	ironisk; spydig
Dutch:	wrang
Estonian:	viril
Finnish:	ironinen
French:	ironique
German:	schief
Greek:	ειρωνικός, χλευαστικός
Hungarian:	kényszeredett
Icelandic:	kaldhæðnislegur
Indonesian:	sinis
Italian:	ironico

Japanese:	皮肉な
Korean:	얼굴을 찡그린, 비뚤어진
Latvian:	(par sejas izteiksmi) skābs; sājš
Lithuanian:	kreivas, iškreiptas
Norwegian:	skjev (smil), tørr (humor), besk
Polish:	krzywy
Portuguese (Brazil):	perverso, de esguelha
Portuguese (Portugal):	trocista
Romanian:	ironic
Russian:	насмешливый
Slovak:	uštipačný
Slovenian:	ironičen
Spanish:	irónico
Swedish:	ironisk, spydig
Turkish:	biraz alaycı

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wry

Wrie\, a. & v. See Wry. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wry

Wry\, v. t. [AS. wre['o]n.] To cover. [Obs.]

Wrie you in that mantle. --Chaucer.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wry

Wry\, a. [Compar. Wrier; superl. Wriest.] [Akin to OE. wrien to twist, to bend, AS. wrigian to tend towards, to drive.]

1. Turned to one side; twisted; distorted; as, a wry mouth.

2. Hence, deviating from the right direction; misdirected; out of place; as, wry words.

Not according to the wry rigor of our neighbors, who never take up an old idea without some extravagance in its application. --Landor.

3. Wrested; perverted.

He . . . puts a wry sense upon Protestant writers. --Atterbury.

Wry face, a distortion of the countenance indicating impatience, disgust, or discomfort; a grimace.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wry

Wry\, v. i. 1. To twist; to writhe; to bend or wind.

2. To deviate from the right way; to go away or astray; to turn side; to swerve.

This Phebus gan awayward for to wryen. --Chaucer.

How many Must murder wives much better than themselves For wrying but a little! --Shak.

Acronym Finder - Cite This Source - Share This

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