Dictionary

wry en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɹaɪ/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English wrien, from Old English wrīġian (“to go, turn, twist, bend, strive, struggle, press forward, endeavor, venture”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”). Compare awry, wriggle.

Meanings

1. Turned away, contorted (of the face or body).
   • '"Why, you snivelling, wry-faced, puny villain," gasped old Lobbs. 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, chapter 17, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC:
   • “Humph! Had to,” said Pep with a wry grimace. 1913, Victor Appleton, “chapter 11”, in The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park:
2. Dryly humorous; sardonic or ironic, usually in a way that suggests acknowledgement of a problem or difficult situation.
   • "[T]he master says a wry word now and then; and so ye let your spirits go down, don't ye see, and all sorts o' fancies comes into your head." 1871, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, “chapter 6”, in The Haunted Baronet:
3. Twisted, bent, crooked.
4. Deviating from the right direction; misdirected; out of place.
   • Catherine hath made a wry stitch in her broidery, when she was thinking of something else than her work. 1820, [Walter Scott], chapter XXXIV, in The Abbot. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, page 218:
   • . . . the wry rigour of our neighbours, who never take up an old idea without some extravagance in its application. 1876, Walter Savage Landor, The Works and Life of Walter Savage Landor, volume IV, Imaginary Conversations, Third Series: Dialogues of Literary Men, ch. 6—Milton and Andrew Marvel, page 155 (Google preview)

Forms

Deriveds

go awry · awry · wry-billed plover · wryly

Synonyms

droll

Translations (60)

el λοξός (contorted) · fi vääntynyt (twisted) · cs pokřivený (twisted) · ru язвительный (dryly humorous) · mi koronuke (twisted) · ro sarcastic (dryly humorous) · el πικρόχολος (dryly humorous) · sv torr (dryly humorous) · cs křivý (contorted) · sh ironičan (dryly humorous) · ro răsucit (twisted) · cs pokřivený (contorted) · de gewunden (twisted) · ro ironic (dryly humorous) · nl ironisch (dryly humorous) · fi kuiva (dryly humorous) · mi hapa (twisted) · ro sucit (twisted) · sv syrlig (dryly humorous) · cs jízlivý (dryly humorous) · de verdreht (twisted) · cs křivý (twisted) · el στρεβλός (contorted) · gl sardónico (dryly humorous) · de ironisch (dryly humorous) · sv skev (contorted) · de verdreht (contorted) · nl verdraaid (twisted) · ru скривившийся (contorted) · fr ironique (dryly humorous) · gl revirado (twisted) · fi poispäin kääntynyt (contorted) · fr tordu (contorted) · ru искривлённый (twisted) · nl verwrongen (contorted) · sv spydig (dryly humorous) · hu eltorzult (contorted) · bg крив (contorted) · mi hape (twisted) · it sarcastico (dryly humorous) · nl verwrongen (twisted) · ru искажённый (contorted) · el σαρκαστικός (dryly humorous) · bg изкривен (contorted) · bg извит (twisted) · mi kōiheihe (twisted) · ro sardonic (dryly humorous) · sv förvriden (contorted) · nl verdraaid (contorted) · bg язвителен (dryly humorous) · fr tordu (twisted) · gl arrevesado (twisted) · fi kiero (twisted) · sv ironisk (dryly humorous) · el στρεβλός (twisted) · wyi wy-drring (twisted) · de sarkastisch (dryly humorous) · nl droog (dryly humorous) · cs sarkastický (dryly humorous) · mi korotuke (twisted)

wry en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɹaɪ/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English wrien, from Old English wrīġian (“to go, turn, twist, bend, strive, struggle, press forward, endeavor, venture”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”). Compare awry, wriggle.

Meanings

1. (regional) Distortion.

wry en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɹaɪ/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English wrien, from Old English wrīġian (“to go, turn, twist, bend, strive, struggle, press forward, endeavor, venture”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”). Compare awry, wriggle.

Meanings

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To turn (away); to swerve or deviate.
   • God pricketh them of his great goodness still. And the grief of this great pang pincheth them at the heart, and of wickedness they wry away. 1535, Thomas More, chapter 18, in Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation:
   • You married ones, If each of you should take this course, how many Must murder wives much better than themselves For wrying but a little! 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
2. (obsolete, transitive) To divert; to cause to turn away.
3. (transitive) To twist or contort (the body, face, etc.).

Forms

Translations (17)

nl verwringen (to twist) · ru искажать (to twist) · nl wegdraaien (to divert) · nl verdraaien (to twist) · sv förvrida (to twist) · fi johtaa harhaan (to divert) · sv avleda (to divert) · ro răsuci (to twist) · ota بورمق (to twist) · bg извивам (to twist) · fr tordre (to twist) · fi kääntyä pois (to turn away) · nl wringen (to twist) · fi vääntää (to twist) · nl wegdraaien (to turn away) · nl zich afkeren (to turn away) · bg изкривявам (to twist)

wry en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɹaɪ/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English wryen, wrien, wreon, wrihen, from Old English wrēon (“to cover, clothe, envelop”), from Proto-West Germanic *wrīhan, from Proto-Germanic *wrīhaną (“to wrap, cover”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete, transitive) To cover; clothe; cover up; cloak; hide.

Forms