unsmiling
adjective
un·smil·ing
ˌən-ˈsmī-liŋ 
: not smiling or tending to smile : marked by a somber or serious expression or attitude
a stern, unsmiling teacher
unsmilingly
adverb
His views were unsmilingly stated, implacably held, and amenable to no reasonable argument.
—
Simon Winchester
Simon Winchester
Examples of unsmiling in a Sentence
delivered the reprimand with a harsh and unsmiling face
Recent Examples on the Web
Prima felt that there was something humiliating in Ruth’s loyalty to Thalia, and in her unsmiling scrutiny of Heiss.
—Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
Soon after the baby is declared dead, Nina is blamed by the woman’s husband and Nina’s unsmiling supervisor (Merab Ninidze) launches an investigation into what went wrong.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
On his first trip to the Holy See, Francis’ unsmiling welcome was seen as frigid and unfriendly; both encounters were markedly brief.
—Federico Perelmuter, The Dial, 13 Mar. 2025
But at that moment, looking up from the examination table at Tina, her dark hair framing her unsmiling face, Lilian neither hesitated nor flinched.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsmiling
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Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
Soon after the baby is declared dead, Nina is blamed by the woman’s husband and Nina’s unsmiling supervisor (Merab Ninidze) launches an investigation into what went wrong.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
On his first trip to the Holy See, Francis’ unsmiling welcome was seen as frigid and unfriendly; both encounters were markedly brief.
—Federico Perelmuter, The Dial, 13 Mar. 2025
But at that moment, looking up from the examination table at Tina, her dark hair framing her unsmiling face, Lilian neither hesitated nor flinched.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsmiling
Cite this Entry
“Unsmiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsmiling. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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