adjective
-
amusing in a quaint or odd manner; comical
Related Words
See amusing.
Other Word Forms
- drollness noun
- drolly adverb
Etymology
Origin of droll
First recorded in 1615–25; from Middle French drolle “pleasant rascal,” perhaps from Middle Dutch drol “elf, goblin, fat little man,” ultimately from Old Norse; troll 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But no matter—a tail has been added by the sixth page, our first introduction to Ms. Shaloshvili’s droll sensibility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
Buzz has it that this British comedy is as strange, lovely, droll and surprising as last year’s Sundance premiere “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” a movie I’ve been raving about ever since.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026
As Lucy, she is refreshingly droll, hitting the film’s comedic beats with a softer touch that lends itself to her character’s tendency to play the spin doctor.
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2025
It’s smartly written, festooned with quirky business, farcical situations, droll asides.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2025
I wasn’t usually droll enough, snide enough, quick enough, and I swelled with pride at the achievement.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.