Deadpan
adjective /ˈdɛd.pæn/ — Deliberately expressionless delivery of a funny or absurd statement.
Definition
Deliberately expressionless, impassive, or blank in the delivery of speech or humor — the straight face that makes a joke funnier precisely because no acknowledgment of the humor is offered.
Beyond the definition
Deadpan is a comedy of trust — the performer trusts the audience to find the joke without being directed to it. It respects the audience's intelligence in the way that telegraphed humor cannot.
Origin & history
From 'dead' (completely) + 'pan' (face). The term emerged in American entertainment in the 1920s–30s, associated with comedians like Buster Keaton.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Buster Keaton's face was the original deadpan — the world collapsing around him, his expression unchanged, the comedy in the gap.
Her best deadpan lines were the ones she delivered while answering questions she hadn't asked.
Deadpan works best in writing when you simply state the absurd as though it were ordinary, without apology.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Deadpan” when the meaning fits your context: Deliberately expressionless, impassive, or blank in the delivery of speech or humor — the straight face that makes a joke funnier precisely because no acknowledgment of the humor is offered.
Synonyms
straight-faced, expressionless, impassive, dry
Antonyms
exaggerated, broad, over-the-top
Related words
Deadpan vs dry humor
Deadpan is a delivery style where the speaker remains expressionless while saying something funny. Dry humor describes the understated, witty nature of the content itself, regardless of delivery.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Calmly Choosing Stillness
An adult sits in a quiet room, calm and still, ignoring a ringing phone.
The deliberate choice of silence and impassivity represents the deadpan approach, where the refusal to react or acknowledge the expected behavior of the phone creates an effect precisely because of the lack of expression.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Deadpan" mean?
Deadpan is adjective meaning: Deliberately expressionless delivery of a funny or absurd statement.. Deliberately expressionless, impassive, or blank in the delivery of speech or humor — the straight face that makes a joke funnier precisely because no acknowledgment of the humor is offered.
Where does the word "Deadpan" come from?
From 'dead' (completely) + 'pan' (face). The term emerged in American entertainment in the 1920s–30s, associated with comedians like Buster Keaton.