Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
dryly

dryly

18 6.1
In a calm, serious way that seems slightly funny
  • adverb
  • /ˈdraɪli/
translation icon : secamente
  • After hearing the absurd excuse, he responded dryly, "Well, that's one way to explain it."
  • dryly noted

So Baker says somewhat dryly that obeying the rule that the most common words are the last to leave a dying class.

Examples

  • "Sorry to intrude," I told him dryly, bending over for the bike.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • General manager Gerald Olin is well-versed in the hotel's tragic history, dryly reciting the docket of carnage like a bookkeeper discussing his ledger.

    1408 (2007)

  • "If they see me," he continued dryly, "out here helping you, then one of us is gonna get fired."

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "Let me guess," she suggested dryly, looking up at him.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "It's a long story, Father." "Dinner will not be served for another hour," he said dryly.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I told him this, and he said dryly that he wasn't sure he wanted to meet her.

    Blog text (21)

  • "I'm not going to ask you to split your pay with me," Diana said dryly.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "The Air Force probably paid a thousand dollars for it, too," McLanahan added dryly.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "We'll discuss the psycho-sexual aspects of reincarnation on the way home," he said dryly.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "Everybody's mother scared them with the Forsaken," Rand said dryly, "but most grow out of it."

    Blog text (26)

Synonyms

ironically
vsdryly
213 5.5

In a way that shows the opposite of what you mean or expect

is the same tone but focuses on understatement and unemotional delivery
tongue-in-cheek
vsdryly
  • Informal
15 7.4

Said jokingly and not meant to be taken seriously

is more deadpan and matter-of-fact rather than playfully insincere
wryly
vsdryly
12 7.0

In a dry, slightly mocking way

is similar but is more unemotional and less openly mocking
drily
vsdryly
1 7.2

In a quiet, serious way that shows you are joking or being sarcastic

is the same in meaning but is the alternate spelling form
drolly
vsdryly
1 6.9

In a funny, slightly odd way that makes people smile

is drier and less eccentric, focusing on understated unemotional humor

Antonyms

emotionally
369 2.7

In a way that shows strong feelings

warmly
39 1.0

In a kind, friendly, and enthusiastic way

How Dry

wryly
12 7.0
dryly
18 6.1
flatly
45 4.6

Surface Forms

dryly positive

Morphology

dryly = dry (transparent) = dry + ly

The adverb is a regular formation from the adjective 'dry' with the productive adverbial suffix '-ly', so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Dryly comes from dry, which first meant 'not wet' and later was used for speech that is 'without strong feeling'. Think of dry humor — a quiet, calm joke — so to speak dryly is to say something in a quiet, unemotional, or slightly funny way.