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Definition of 'droll'

adjective

Comical in an odd or whimsical manner; "a droll little man with a quiet tongue-in-cheek kind of humor"

From: GCIDE

Droll \Droll\, n.
1. One whose practice it is to raise mirth by odd tricks; a jester; a buffoon; a merry-andrew. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
2. Something exhibited to raise mirth or sport, as a puppet, a farce, and the like. [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Droll \Droll\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Drolled; p. pr. & vb. n. Drolling.] To jest; to play the buffoon. [R.] [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Droll \Droll\, v. t.
1. To lead or influence by jest or trick; to banter or jest; to cajole. [1913 Webster]
Men that will not be reasoned into their senses, may yet be laughed or drolled into them. --L'Estrange. [1913 Webster]
2. To make a jest of; to set in a comical light. [R.] [1913 Webster]
This drolling everything is rather fatiguing. -- W. D. Howells. [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Droll \Droll\ (dr[=o]l), a. [Compar. Droller; superl. Drollest.] [F. dr[^o]le; cf. G. & D. drollig, LG. drullig, D. drol a thick and short person, a droll, Sw. troll a magical appearance, demon, trolla to use magic arts, enchant, Dan. trold elf, imp, Icel. tr["o]ll giant, magician, evil spirit, monster. If this is the origin, cf. Trull.] Queer, and fitted to provoke laughter; ludicrous from oddity; amusing and strange.
Syn: Comic; comical; farcical; diverting; humorous; ridiculous; queer; odd; waggish; facetious; merry; laughable; ludicrous. -- Droll, Laughable, Comical. Laughable is the generic term, denoting anything exciting laughter or worthy of laughter; comical denotes something of the kind exhibited in comedies, something humorous of the kind exhibited in comedies, something, as it were, dramatically humorous; droll stands lower on the scale, having reference to persons or things which excite laughter by their buffoonery or oddity. A laughable incident; a comical adventure; a droll story. [1913 Webster]