Wry a. [Compar. Wrier superl. Wriest.]
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.
wry
adj 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, ironic, ironical]
2: bent to one side; "a wry neck"
3: disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking;
"his rebellion is the bitter, sardonic laughter of all
great satirists"- Frank Schoenberner; "a wry pleasure to
be...reminded of all that one is missing"- Irwin Edman
[syn: sardonic]
[also: wried, wryest, wryer, wriest, wrier]