deadpan
Say it: DED-pan /ˈdɛdpan/ · adjective
What “deadpan” means
Telling a joke with a completely serious face.
More precisely: Deliberately expressionless, especially when telling a joke.
Example: “His deadpan delivery means half the room doesn't realise he's joking.”
When to use it
Use it for a joke delivered without smiling or changing expression, so the seriousness makes it funnier.
Memory trick
“Pan” is slang for face: a deadpan face gives nothing away.
Similar words
straight-faced, poker-faced, impassive
Where it comes from
From dead + pan, slang for 'face'.
Quick check
Wearing flippers to breakfast, your brother calls them his business shoes without smiling once. His delivery is…
deadpan or animated?
Show the answer
deadpan
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