Deadpan: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Deadpan adjective. Deliberately showing no emotion or amusement, especially while saying something funny.
How to say it
DED-pan/ˈdɛdpan/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (DED).
Deadpan in a sentence
Her deadpan delivery made the joke twice as funny.
'I'm thrilled,' he said, completely deadpan, as the third flight was cancelled.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- straight-faced
- impassive
- poker-faced
- dry
Opposite:
- animated
- expressive
Where deadpan comes from
Early 20th-century American slang, from dead and pan, meaning the face.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
'I'm thrilled,' he said, completely _____, as the third flight was cancelled.
- wry
- ironic
- deadpan
Show the answer
deadpan: 'I'm thrilled,' he said, completely deadpan, as the third flight was cancelled.