What is "wrier"

Wry \Wry\, a. [Compar. Wrier; superl. Wriest.] [Akin to OE. wrien to twist, to bend, AS. wrigian to tend towards, to drive.]

1. Turned to one side; twisted; distorted; as, a wry mouth.

2. Hence, deviating from the right direction; misdirected; out of place; as, wry words.

   Not according to the wry rigor of our neighbors, who never take up an old idea without some extravagance in its application.
   --Landor.

3. Wrested; perverted.

   He . . . puts a wry sense upon Protestant writers.
   --Atterbury.

   Wry face, a distortion of the countenance indicating impatience, disgust, or discomfort; a grimace.

a. (en-comparative of: wry) alt. (en-comparative of: wry)

1. adj. humorously sarcastic or mocking; "dry humor"; "an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely"; "an ironic novel"; "an ironical smile"; "with a wry Scottish wit" [syn: dry, ironic, ironical]

2. bent to one side; "a wry neck"

3. disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking; "his rebellion is the bitter, sardonic laughter of all great satirists"- Frank Schoenberner; "a wry pleasure to be...reminded of all that one is missing"- Irwin Edman [syn: sardonic]

4. [also: wried, wryest, wryer, wriest, wrier]

See wry