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droll

droll

8 7.7
Funny in a quiet, odd way that makes you smile
  • adjective
  • /droʊl/
translation icon : divertido
  • The rest is a romp through well-choreographed martial arts, unexpected villains, droll one-liners, and beautiful but disposable Bond girls.
  • droll humor
  • droll sense
  • very droll

Examples

  • The tall one's gawking at me and the short one's being very droll.

  • Ruth Reichl's first book, the autobiographical Tender at the Bone, disarmed readers with its droll candor.

    Blog text (3)
  • Indeed, it's so droll that some people drop money for him.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • But Anna is such a dear, droll child.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It's very droll, I do declare

  • Oddly enough, it now seemed somewhat droll and lame.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The doctor grinned as though Heiberg had just said something droll.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The voice continues, droll, sardonic, the voice of a weary time traveler.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • In recent years, he'd cut films only for Mel Adler, a droll, balding guy who was one of Hollywood's leading directors of slapstick comedy.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The comedian's droll observations about everyday life had the audience laughing uncontrollably.

Synonyms

funny
vsdroll
740 2.0

Causing a strange feeling in your body

is odd and amusing but with a gentler whimsical tone
wacky
vsdroll
  • Informal
98 5.9

Odd in a funny or silly way

is odd and amusing but more quietly whimsical
comical
vsdroll
39 3.1

Making people laugh because it is silly or unusual

is odd and amusing but less focused on overt laughter
zany
vsdroll
12 7.6

Funny and odd in a silly way that makes people laugh

is odd and amusing but more subtle and less extreme
wiggy
vsdroll
  • Slang
3 9.3

Strange and amusing in how a person or thing looks and acts

is odd and amusing but less strikingly eccentric
whacky
vsdroll
  • Informal
1 7.7

Funny in a strange or silly way

is odd and amusing but more mild and restrained
nimptopsical
vsdroll
  • Neologism
9.9

Playful and a little strange in a way that makes people smile

is odd and amusing but in a subtle way
corky
vsdroll
7.0

Lively and slightly odd in a way that makes people smile

is odd and amusing but more understated

Antonyms

452 1.4

Calm and focused, not playful or joking

How Amusing

hilarious
  • Informal
264 1.5
amusing
208 1.0
droll
8 7.7
wry
21 7.5

Surface Forms

droll positive
droller comparative
drollest superlative

Etymology

Droll comes from the old French word drôle, which meant 'funny' or an 'odd' person, like a clown. So to call someone droll is to say they are amusing in a strange or unexpected way.