1
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
the film's sophisticated drolleries will elicit smiles and chuckles even upon repeated viewings
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2
as in humor
the amusing quality or element in something
though generally serious, the novel about a seriously dysfunctional family is not without drollery
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Recent Examples of drollery
He is played by Ethan Hawke, a mainstay of Linklater’s movies, in a remarkable amalgam of bitterness, exuberance, drollery, tenderness, frustration, and tremendous artistic passion.
—
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Matthew Rankin’s latest surreal comedy, between hilarious drollery and bitter disillusionment.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
His ambition and synthetic public persona are the butt of countless withering drolleries.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Griffin’s front-court mate DeAndre Jordan, although deeply intense, mirrored Griffin’s drollery in candid postgame interviews.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 3 July 2024
But his method is mostly charging into the fray, shouting battle cries or tossing out Australian drollery.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024
The starry cast runs full force with his nesting-doll plots and deadpan drolleries, the color palette comes saturated in a Pantone riot of blues, pinks and egg-yolk yellows, and the tone flips nimbly from tender to absurd, more Dahl sweetness than arsenic.
—Leah Greenblatt, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
With LuPone’s perversely opportunistic Mrs. Lovett reviewing the prospective cannibalistic menu, his Sweeney perfectly complemented her cockeyed humor with his own savage drollery.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023
Lapine’s book is marvelously inventive, full of elbow-nudging drollery and melancholy rumination.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2023
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Matthew Rankin’s latest surreal comedy, between hilarious drollery and bitter disillusionment.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
His ambition and synthetic public persona are the butt of countless withering drolleries.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Griffin’s front-court mate DeAndre Jordan, although deeply intense, mirrored Griffin’s drollery in candid postgame interviews.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 3 July 2024
But his method is mostly charging into the fray, shouting battle cries or tossing out Australian drollery.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024
The starry cast runs full force with his nesting-doll plots and deadpan drolleries, the color palette comes saturated in a Pantone riot of blues, pinks and egg-yolk yellows, and the tone flips nimbly from tender to absurd, more Dahl sweetness than arsenic.
—Leah Greenblatt, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
With LuPone’s perversely opportunistic Mrs. Lovett reviewing the prospective cannibalistic menu, his Sweeney perfectly complemented her cockeyed humor with his own savage drollery.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023
Lapine’s book is marvelously inventive, full of elbow-nudging drollery and melancholy rumination.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drollery
Noun
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Meanwhile, Corden, as the event’s emcee, made some uncomfortable jokes about the Dow dropping 2200 points last Friday.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2025
-
After Wil Trapp scored a rare goal in Minnesota United’s 2-1 win over New York City on Sunday — and the midfielder did so from outside the 18-yard box — Michael Boxall had jokes ready for his teammate and friend in the visiting locker room at Yankee Stadium.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Their early short films were made on shoestring budgets, relying on humor and inventive storytelling.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The role sees Williams’s character balancing humor and tragedy up until her final moments.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In a bit role, Morgan McGhee delivers big laughs with her loopy take as a newscaster.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2025
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The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast co-host was spotted sharing a laugh with his daughter Mia and his niece Savannah Phillips on Christmas at Sandringham in December 2024, joining the royals for church on the holiday.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The irony here is that the film’s main subject, AI, was one of the key elements that writers and actors were pushing against.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Irony of Poor Leadership: The Ones Who Need Training the Most Avoid It the Most There’s a cruel irony at play in many organizations.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Throughout, Snook hams for laughs, turning Wilde’s witticisms and epigrams into slapstick.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
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The laminated menu taped to the wall was stocked with the usual cheap alcoholic concoctions, plus the occasional witticism and curiosity.—
Hannah Gold,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The comedy about journalists entering North Korea was Sony’s prime release circa the time of the 2014 Sony Pictures Entertainment hack and leaks, where Pascal’s email exchanges with Scott Rudin, among others, revealed comments many deemed to be racist.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2025
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But the conflict between the two couples, the three generations of Italian-Americans, and the Tanya-and-the-gays stuff was all still really compelling drama and dark comedy.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drollery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drollery. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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