Wry
/raɪ/noun
Bent, twisted, or dryly ironic in manner.
Did you know?In Old English, *wry* was tied to the idea of twisting or turning, and that physical crookedness later evolved into the sharp, off-center tone we now call a wry remark.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wrīhaną
“to twist, turn, or bend”
Old English
OE
wrigian / wrīgan
“to turn, bend, or move aside”
Middle English
ME
wrye / wriȝe
“crooked, bent, twisted”
14th Century
English
wry
“crooked or askew; also figuratively, dryly ironic”
Modern English
English
wry
“bent, twisted, or marked by ironic detachment”