deadpan

adjective

ˈded-ˌpan How to pronounce deadpan (audio)
Definition of deadpannext
as in blank
not expressing any emotion he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of deadpan The movie is deadpan-funny but also shares the sisters’ romantic conviction that the world could reveal something truly wondrous. — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 The deadpan set-up played out in a campaign all the way to Super Bowl 2024 where Cera appeared in a spot for CeraVe. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026 His signature gifts — menace at a whisper, deadpan absurdity, theatrical precision, and the knack for making even the strangest line land like an anvil. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026 The exchange reached millions when George Stern, a former McKinsey consultant, read the texts deadpan to camera, becoming one of his most viral Instagram and TikTok videos. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
  1. blank
  2. expressionless
  3. enigmatic
  4. impassive
  5. stolid
Adjective
  • More than 17 of the 26 pages provided were either blank or completely redacted, with large black boxes covering entire messages rather than specific pieces of sensitive information.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Eligible military and overseas voters can receive blank ballots by mail, email or fax.
    — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of blank
Adjective
  • The 47-year-old, wearing a blue suit and blue tie, was expressionless as the charges against him were described.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 May 2026
  • The routine calls for this chic, almost expressionless vibe — very different from a typical K-pop performance.
    — Billboard Korea, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025
Definition of expressionless
Adjective
  • The story centers on a transfer student’s enigmatic bond with a teacher, as a string of unexplained, supernatural incidents cracks the school’s polished facade.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • He is saved by an enigmatic young mechanic who equips him with a custom mechanical arm.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Then, after walking for a couple of blocks, directing withering sneers at the policeman’s reddish face, which was as impassive as that of a stone idol, Gleb cooled down and succumbed to boredom.
    — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
  • There are melancholic elements, including human characters that can seem lost in their thoughts — impassive and detached from the world.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of impassive
Adjective
  • The trombonist Cutler is played by Terence Archie as stolid, unassuming and quietly in control.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Leigh—intellectual, magnetic, and capricious—went to finishing school before marrying a stolid, stable lawyer named Herbert Leigh Holman in 1932.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of stolid

Browse Nearby Words

dead-on
deadpan
dead presidents
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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