Meaning & use
deadpan
Showing no emotion or expression, especially when saying something funny.
See it in a sentence
He delivered the punchline in such a deadpan voice that half the room missed the joke.
The comedian's deadpan expression made her sarcastic remarks even funnier.
A note on using this word
Deadpan describes a delivery style, not a mood; a person can be deadpan while actually finding something hilarious.
Words with a similar meaning
expressionlessimpassivepoker-faced
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
animated
Another way to use it
2. adverb
In a manner that shows no emotion or expression, used for comic effect.
She said, deadpan, that the meeting had been the highlight of her year.
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