droll

1 of 3

adjective

ˈdrōl How to pronounce droll (audio)
Synonyms of drollnext
: having a humorous, whimsical, or odd quality
his dignified presence decorated our droll little quarters— Gwendolyn Brooks
drollness noun
drolly
ˈdrō(l)-lē How to pronounce droll (audio)
adverb

droll

2 of 3

noun

: an amusing person : jester, comedian

droll

3 of 3

verb

drolled; drolling; drolls

intransitive verb

archaic
: to make fun : jest, sport
drolling a little upon the corporal— Laurence Sterne

Synonyms

Adjective

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of droll in a Sentence

Adjective a droll little man with a peculiar sense of humor a book of droll stories Noun the drolls of late-night TV had a field day with that senator's sexual shenanigans
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Obviously, this is an even less interesting story than the already droll Disgruntled thing, which is hard to believe would catch Geist’s attention, even as a joke. — Sarah Nechamkin, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2024 There are graphic novels with droll, sardonic dialogue. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
After Mabel is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the film’s tone turns from droll to a straight-up horror show. — Emma Madden, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2024 It’s smartly written, festooned with quirky business, farcical situations, droll asides. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
Exactly what happens next and why won’t be revealed right away, since Irish writer-director Damian McCarthy deliberately jumbles the timeline of events in his effectively frightening and unexpectedly droll haunted-house horror. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for droll

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Verb

French drôle, from drôle scamp, from Middle French drolle, from Middle Dutch, imp

First Known Use

Adjective

1623, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1645, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1654, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of droll was in 1623

Rhymes for droll

See All Rhymes for droll

Browse Nearby Words

drôlerie
droll
drollery
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Droll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/droll. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

droll

adjective
ˈdrōl
: having an odd or amusing quality
drollness noun
drolly
ˈdrō(l)-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on droll

Nglish: Translation of droll for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about droll

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