wry

Definitions

1. 1.Turned to one side; twisted; distorted; as, a wry mouth.
2. 2.Hence, deviating from the right direction; misdirected; out of place; as, wry words. Not according to the wry rigor of our neighbors, who never take up an old idea without some extravagance in its application. Landor.
3. 3.Wrested; perverted. He . . . puts a wry sense upon Protestant writers. Atterbury. Wry face, a distortion of the countenance indicating impatience, disgust, or discomfort; a grimace.
4. 4.To twist; to writhe; to bend or wind.
5. 5.To deviate from the right way; to go away or astray; to turn side; to swerve. This Phebus gan awayward for to wryen. Chaucer. How many Must murder wives much better than themselves For wrying but a little! Shak.
6. 6.To twist; to distort; to writhe; to wrest; to vex. Sir P. Sidney. Guests by hundreds, not one caring If the dear host's neck were wried. R. Browning.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

• What does "wry" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is wry.

• What is turned to one side; twisted; distorted; as, a wry mouth called?
• What is wrested; perverted. He . . . puts a wry sense upon Protestant writers. Atterbury. Wry face, a distortion of the countenance indicating impatience, disgust, or discomfort; a grimace called?
• What is to twist; to distort; to writhe; to wrest; to vex. Sir P. Sidney. Guests by hundreds, not one caring If the dear host's neck were wried. R. Browning called?