Wry commonly means humorous in a way that’s very “dry,” irreverent, ironic, sarcastic, or sardonic. The sense of word is especially used in the terms wry humor and wry wit.

This sense of wry is a figurative extension of its literal sense, which means crooked, lopsided, contorted, or distorted. It can also mean contrary or perverse.

A wry smile and a wry expression are probably both somewhat contorted and intended to indicate a sense of irony or sarcasm. You might give a wry smile after telling a particularly wry joke (the kind of joke that’s so dry that it’s hard to tell whether it’s a joke).

The related word awry can be used as an adverb form of wry or as an adjective meaning wrong in some way (amiss) or slanted or twisted (askew).

Example: It takes a while to get used to her wry sense of humor, but she’s not as cynical as she sounds.

The first records of the word wry as an adjective come from around the 1520s. It comes from the Old English wrīgian, meaning “to turn”—wry was first used in English as a verb meaning “to twist,” but this sense has since fallen out of use.

The words twisted and warped can be used as synonyms for literal sense of wry and as informal synonyms for its figurative sense—a wry sense of humor is often a twisted or warped one. Wry humor is often very dry, meaning it’s expressed in a straight-faced, matter-of-fact way. That’s why you might need to follow it up with a wry smile to let the person know that you’re making a joke.

What are some other forms related to wry?

• wryly (adverb)
• wryness (noun)

What are some synonyms for wry?

• sarcastic
• sardonic
• dry
• twisted
• warped
• askew

What are some words that share a root or word element with wry? 

• awry

What are some words that often get used in discussing wry?

• smile
• humor
• wit
• expression
• remark
• comment
• joke

Wry is usually used to describe a particular type of ironic humour.

A smart, honest & dedicated public servant with a wry sense of humor, he built #EPA — and then returned to it to stop the hemorrhaging under very difficult circumstances.
He was also a hero of the Saturday Night Massacre.
RIP, Bill Ruckelshaus, a man who made government work. https://t.co/Ony9MTSGRL

— Dan Fagin (@danfagin) November 27, 2019

Seguin also responded with a wry smile and was clearly screwing around. It was far from an "anti-analytics" moment.

— John Matisz (@MatiszJohn) September 15, 2020

Beyond thrilled to have an advance copy of this “witty, wry, and wonky” little mycological treasure. Available everywhere October 29 – and keep an eye out for a Lawrence Millman mushroom talk near you this fall. Full tour dates to coming soon. pic.twitter.com/oYCZmeVHaD

— Sara H-S (@shsnaps) August 16, 2019

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of wry?

A. twisted
B. straightforward
C. warped
D. crooked