wry

Adjective

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (2)

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”Synonyms: dry ironic ironical
bent to one side“a wry neck”

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Wry \Wry\, a. [Compar. Wrier; superl. Wriest.] [Akin to OE. wrien to twist, to bend, AS. wrigian to tend towards, to drive.] [1913 Webster]

1.Turned to one side; twisted; distorted; as, a wry mouth. [1913 Webster]

2.Hence, deviating from the right direction; misdirected; out of place; as, wry words. [1913 Webster]

Not according to the wry rigor of our neighbors, who never take up an old idea without some extravagance in its application.— Landor.[1913 Webster]

3.Wrested; perverted. [1913 Webster]

He . . . puts a wry sense upon Protestant writers.— Atterbury.[1913 Webster]

Wry face, a distortion of the countenance indicating impatience, disgust, or discomfort; a grimace. [1913 Webster]

Wry \Wry\, v. t. [AS. wre['o]n.] To cover. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

Wrie you in that mantle. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Wry \Wry\, v. i.

1.To twist; to writhe; to bend or wind. [1913 Webster]

2.To deviate from the right way; to go away or astray; to turn side; to swerve. [1913 Webster]

This Phebus gan awayward for to wryen.— Chaucer.[1913 Webster]

How many Must murder wives much better than themselves For wrying but a little!— Shak.[1913 Webster]

Wry \Wry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wried; p. pr. & vb. n. Wrying.] [OE. wrien. See Wry, a.] To twist; to distort; to writhe; to wrest; to vex. --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]

Guests by hundreds, not one caring If the dear host's neck were wried. --R. Browning. [1913 Webster]