What does drollish mean?
Drollish is an English adjective meaning comical or amusing in a dry, whimsical, or slightly odd way. It functions essentially as a rarer and somewhat more emphatic variant of the familiar adjective "droll," which describes humor that is understated and eccentric rather than broad or boisterous. A drollish remark might be delivered with a perfectly straight face, its comedy arising from unexpected phrasing, deadpan observation, or gentle absurdity rather than slapstick. The word appears mostly in literary writing and older texts, and many modern readers encounter it only occasionally; in contemporary prose, writers overwhelmingly prefer "droll" to express the same idea. Still, drollish retains a certain charm, lending sentences a faintly antiquated, storybook quality that suits descriptions of quirky characters and their peculiar, quiet brand of humor.
adjectiveDrollish means comical or amusing in an odd, whimsical, or dryly humorous way; it is a rarer, intensified form of the adjective "droll." It is chiefly literary and somewhat old-fashioned.
- Comical, amusing, or laughable in a quaint, whimsical, or dryly humorous way (a rarer variant of "droll").
"The professor's drollish asides kept even the sleepiest students awake."
"His drollish account of the camping disaster had everyone in stitches."
"She had a drollish way of describing the most mundane errands."
Drollish is what happens when "droll" gets a boost of enthusiasm — the same dry wit, dialed up a notch and dressed in an antique coat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of drollish
Drollish is formed by adding the suffix "-ish" to "droll," an English adjective borrowed in the early seventeenth century from French "drôle." The French word itself traces back through Middle French to Middle Dutch "drolle," meaning a goblin, imp, or mischievous fellow, which explains the playful, impish undertone the word family still carries. Related forms include "drollery" and "drollness," all sharing this Franco-Dutch lineage.
How drollish is actually used
"Drollish" is uncommon in modern usage; most writers simply use "droll," which carries the same sense with greater currency. When "drollish" does appear, it tends to have a deliberately quaint, literary flavor.
Easily confused with drollish
"Droll" is the standard, common adjective for a dry, whimsical kind of humor, while "drollish" is a much rarer, more emphatic variant meaning much the same thing.