dry wit
Humor without smiling
Dry wit is humor delivered in a matter-of-fact, understated way, without obvious signals that a joke is being made.
The speaker maintains a straight face and even tone while saying something clever or absurd: She responded to the chaos with her usual dry wit.
The effect depends on the contrast between deadpan delivery and sharp content.
- understatementIntentional diminishment for effect
- deadpanExpressionless, especially for humor
- straight faceNeutral, emotionless expression
- sarcasmIrony used to mock
- sardonicGrimly mocking
irony · subtlety · tongue-in-cheek · restraint · poker-faced · raised eyebrow · subtext · laconic · gallows humor · impassive · droll · wry smile · satire · Dorothy Parker · epigram · zingers · eyebrow · stoicism
- comedycomedy, jokes, humor, puns, sarcasm
- Britishnesstea, London, BBC, Big Ben, royal family
- clever humorwordplay, clever wordplay, clever banter, puns, irony
- comedy elementspunchline, gag, satire, irony, sight gag
- comedy stylesjokes, sarcasm, puns, irony, parody
- comedy termsjokes, puns, sarcasm, irony, parody
comedic style
dry witslapstick
Exaggerated physical humor
physical comedy · mugging · buffoonery · broad comedy · toilet humor
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