I. ˈrī verb
( wried ; wried ; wrying ; wrys )
Etymology: Middle English wrien, from Old English wrigian to turn, incline, go; akin to Old Frisian wrīgia to bow, bend, Middle High German rigel kerchief wound around the head, Old English wrigels covering, veil, Latin ricula small veil, rica headkerchief, veil, Middle Low German wrīch twisted, cranky, Greek rhoikos crooked, Lithuanian rišti to bind, tie, Avestan urvisyeiti he turns, revolves; basic meaning: turning, winding
intransitive verb
: to make contortions : twist , writhe
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to turn aside, away, or around : avert , deflect
2.
a. : to twist around : wring
b. : to pull out of or as if out of proper shape : make awry
3. : to contort in order to express emotion
knows he is goin to die and wrys up his face — R.P.Warren
II. adjective
( wryer ; wryest )
1.
a. : turned abnormally to one side
wry neck
wry mouth
b. : having a bent or twisted shape or condition : contorted
the tangle of wry shadows thrown about the hut by a small flame — C.E.Montague
2.
a. : twisted to express an emotion usually of disgust or displeasure
took another drink … making a wry face — Erskine Caldwell
b. : made by a deliberate distortion of the facial muscles often to express irony or mockery
at the door he turned with a wry smile — Agnes S. Turnbull
3. : marked by perversity : contrary to what is considered right : wrongheaded
wondered how he had come to make such a wry thing of his life — Elizabeth Taylor
4.
a. : marked by a clever twist often with a hint of irony
the wry humor of the poem — W.L.Sperry
with a wry Scottish wit — Time
b. : grimly humorous often with a hint of bitterness
a wry pleasure to be … reminded of all that one is missing — Irwin Edman
many seem to incline to the wry view that taxes are here to stay — C.H.Greenewalt
a chorus of wry laughs — Lou Stoumen
III. adverb
Etymology: wry (II)
: awry