Word
droll
US/ˈdɹoʊɫ/
UK/dɹˈəʊl/
Definition
adj. funny in a strange, quiet way that makes you smile more than laugh out loud.
adj. amusing in an odd or understated way, provoking quiet amusement rather than hearty laughter.
Examples
“He tells droll stories that make everyone smile.”
“The tour guide keeps the group laughing with droll comments about the city's rainy weather.”
“Her memoir charms readers with a droll, self-deprecating voice that turns even painful memories into quiet comedy.”
Examples
simple
“He tells droll stories that make everyone smile.”
contextual
“The tour guide keeps the group laughing with droll comments about the city's rainy weather.”
complex
“Her memoir charms readers with a droll, self-deprecating voice that turns even painful memories into quiet comedy.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “droll” in context.
Verb
01. consider droll
“Critics consider her latest novel droll rather than hilarious.”
verb + adj
02. deem droll
“The committee deemed his acceptance speech droll and gracious.”
verb + adj
03. find droll
“Most readers find his footnotes droll and quietly subversive.”
verb + adj
Adjective
04. dryly droll
“He is famous for his dryly droll commentary on politics.”
adv + adj
Noun
05. droll anecdote
“He opened the lecture with a droll anecdote about Oxford.”
adj + noun
06. droll expression
“A droll expression crossed his face as he listened.”
adj + noun
07. droll fellow
“My grandfather was a droll fellow with perfect timing.”
adj + noun
08. droll humour
“The film relies on droll humour rather than slapstick.”
adj + noun
09. droll remark
“She made a droll remark about the minister's hat.”
adj + noun
10. a droll little story
“He told us a droll little story about his dog.”
11. a droll sense of humour
“Despite his stern manner, he has a droll sense of humour.”
12. find something rather droll
“I found something rather droll in his solemn apology.”
Real-World Examples
“Such is the thrust of Swanky’s central section, and it is always diverting, with frequent lively digressions – including a droll one about the uniquely British deployment of the word “kindly”.” “But even Hugging Face, a company of 200 employees which is now set to be acquired by Nvidia for almost $13bn, has taken a droll tone over the already infamous incident.” “The silver-haired sculptor is best known for duct-taping a banana to a wall in 2019 and calling it Comedian, in a droll commentary on the excesses of the art market.” “The gentle sendup of Victorian values is droll.” Etymology
From French drôle (“comical, odd, funny”), from drôle (“buffoon”) from Middle French drolle (“a merry fellow, pleasant rascal”) from Old French drolle (“one who lives luxuriously”), from Middle Dutch drol (“fat little man, goblin”), itself from Old Norse troll, from Proto-Germanic *truzlą. Doublet of drôle and troll.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/droll