deadpan
adjective
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Definition of deadpan
(Entry 1 of 4)
deadpan
adverbDefinition of deadpan (Entry 2 of 4)
deadpan
nounDefinition of deadpan (Entry 3 of 4)
deadpan
verbDefinition of deadpan (Entry 4 of 4)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for deadpan
Synonyms: Adjective
blank, catatonic, empty, expressionless, impassive, inexpressive, numb, stolid, vacant
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of deadpan in a Sentence
Adjective
he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was seriousNoun
He tells the joke in his best deadpan. She's a master of deadpan.Verb
“I went back to doing push-ups again, and this time I almost completed one,” he deadpanned.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Max Siedentopf While security holograms add an interesting layer deadpan IDs, Siedentopf suggests that perhaps the practice of using the traditional paper booklets is up for a rethink. — Anne Quito, Quartzy, "An artist is turning boring passport photos into bizarre portraits," 27 Aug. 2019 Elia Suleiman's deadpan comedy sees the noted director take his satirical eye from Palestine to Paris and New York. — Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Oscars: Palestine Selects ‘It Must Be Heaven’ for International Feature Film Category," 22 Aug. 2019 With icy deadpan control, Stearns walks a perilously thin line between the provocative and the preposterous, courting your shock as well as your laughter. — Justin Chang, Twin Cities, "‘The Art of Self-Defense’ takes violent comic aim at toxic masculinity," 19 July 2019 Feniger said to Duritz in her signature deadpan tone. — Jessica Yadegaran, The Mercury News, "Outside Lands: Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz drinks “tongue on belly” with chef Susan Feniger," 9 Aug. 2019 The culture at the club had altered, with the Frenchman, publicly portrayed as a dull, deadpan school teacher, spearheading a change in attitude at Highbury. — SI.com, "Arsene Wenger: A Pioneering Visionary Who Became Invincible at Arsenal," 8 July 2019 The tension between the two – the constant shifting from Fleming’s sensuous phrases to Ehle’s deadpan humor and picturesque storytelling – drove the work forward more than any other single factor. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Ravinia review: Renee Fleming brings to life Andre Previn’s ‘Penelope’," 29 July 2019 With icy deadpan control, Stearns walks a perilously thin line between the provocative and the preposterous, courting your shock as well as your laughter. — Justin Chang, Twin Cities, "‘The Art of Self-Defense’ takes violent comic aim at toxic masculinity," 19 July 2019 Tom was a great storyteller whose deadpan, self-deprecating sense of humor introduced joy to life's most mundane moments. — courant.com, "Thomas D. Murphy," 12 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
With a snappy indie-rock deadpan, Blum sings about the tensions between solitude and belonging, between order and chaos. — John Adamian, courant.com, "Indie rock’s Mal Blum playing the State House," 12 July 2019 Mostly, Will gets to work, or rather Mr. Johnson does, as the character undergoes the hero’s crucible of suffering with throbbing muscles, an impressive deadpan and yards of duct tape. — New York Times, "Review: In ‘Skyscraper,’ Dwayne Johnson Scales a Tower of Clichés," 11 July 2018 Assuming a creepy deadpan, Stewart proves even more effective as the swine Squealer, the crafty, villainous chief propagandist of the human-free farm. — Tim Smith, baltimoresun.com, "Orwell's 'Animal Farm' stings at Center Stage," 13 Mar. 2018 According to a former administration official, in private conversations with aides and friends, Tillerson refers to Trump, in his Texas deadpan, as the dealmaker in chief. — Jason Zengerle, New York Times, "Rex Tillerson and the Unraveling of the State Department," 17 Oct. 2017 Jim Gaffigan, one of the premiere joke tellers today, hardly ever laughs in his delivery, maintaining an amiable deadpan. — Jason Zinoman, New York Times, "Why Do Comics Laugh at Their Own Jokes? It’s No Accident," 3 Mar. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Grant deadpans of the annual invitation for a Love Actually reunion. — Julie Miller, HWD, "Love Actually Stars Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, and More Offer Clues About the Sequel," 17 Mar. 2017 Grant deadpans of the annual invitation for a Love Actually reunion. — vanityfair.com, "Love Actually Stars Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, and More Offer Clues About the Sequel," 17 Mar. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deadpan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for deadpan
deadpan
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of deadpan
(Entry 1 of 3)
deadpan
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of deadpan (Entry 2 of 3)
deadpan
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of deadpan (Entry 3 of 3)
See the full definition for deadpan in the English Language Learners Dictionary