deadpan

1 of 4

adjective

dead·​pan ˈded-ˌpan How to pronounce deadpan (audio)
Synonyms of deadpannext
: marked by an impassive matter-of-fact manner, style, or expression
a deadpan comedy

deadpan

2 of 4

adverb

: in a deadpan manner : without emotion : blankly
Larry David started out in the 1970s doing stand-up in comedy clubs such as Catch a Rising Star, where if he came out on stage and did not like the audience he would stare at them deadpan … and walk off.—Lee Siegel
"A sex and violence weekend?" "That's two weekend ideas, actually," Derbin replies deadpan.—Judith Miller

deadpan

3 of 4

noun

1
: a deadpan manner of behavior or presentation
2
: a completely expressionless face

deadpan

4 of 4

verb

deadpanned; deadpanning; deadpans

transitive verb

: to express in a deadpan manner
deadpanner noun

Synonyms of deadpan

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of deadpan in a Sentence

Adjective he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious Noun 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Through a slurry of distorted guitars and deadpan singing, the album brushes against grief, addiction, and abandonment through a layer of gauzy nonchalance. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026 Actor Efren Ramírez nailed Pedro's laconic, deadpan style that made his promise a hilarious highlight. — Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
Noun
Annie takes up smoking and deadpan. — Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 18 May 2026 Jack White served as the show’s deadpan musical director, cueing music off a boombox and joking with Colbert during the hour-long episode. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Verb
Wednesday deadpans before the two are transported to a surreal dreamscape featuring a giant gorgon-head fireplace. — Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025 The prize, Brady deadpans, is two weeks in Dayton, Ohio, which the 51-year-old concedes sounds a little like a Vaudeville punchline. — Nancy Shohet West, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Feb. 2020 See All Example Sentences for deadpan

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1924, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1939, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deadpan was in 1915

Rhymes for deadpan

See All Rhymes for deadpan

Browse Nearby Words

Deadose
deadpan
dead parking
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Cite this Entry

“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadpan. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

deadpan

noun
dead·​pan
ˈded-ˌpan
: a face that shows no emotion
deadpan adjective or adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on deadpan

Nglish: Translation of deadpan for Spanish Speakers

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