Meaning & use
drolly
Last updated
UK/ˈdrəʊlli/
US/ˈdroʊlli/
Meaning
adverbformalliterary
In a way that is amusingly odd or quietly funny.
Grammar: Modifies a verb or adjective: smiled drolly, drolly amusing.
Patterns
- smile drolly
- say something drolly
- drolly amusing
She smiled drolly and said nothing.
He drolly remarked that the meeting could have been an email.
The film is drolly funny in a quiet, understated way.
Common combinations
- smile drolly
- He smiled drolly at the absurdity of the situation.
- drolly amusing
- Her drolly amusing comments kept everyone entertained.
- drolly observed
- She drolly observed that it was raining again.
Synonyms and how they differ
- amusingly
- More general and common; drolly adds a sense of oddness or quiet wit.
- wryly
- Similar, but wryly often suggests dry humor about a bad situation.
- quaintly
- Focuses on charming oddness, not necessarily humor.
Opposites
Word family
- droll adjective
- Amusing in an odd or quiet way.
- drollery noun
- A funny or odd joke or behavior.
Commonly confused: drolly or dully?
drolly vs dully
Sounds similar but means 'in a boring way'. Drolly is funny; dully is dull.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'drolly' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Drolly' is an adverb describing how someone speaks or acts, as in option A. Option B uses it as an adjective before a noun; option C misuses it as an adjective after 'was'; option D treats it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “drolly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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