unsmiling

un·smil·ing | \ ˌən-ˈsmī-liŋ

How to pronounce unsmiling (audio)

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Definition of unsmiling

: not smiling or tending to smile : marked by a somber or serious expression or attitude a stern, unsmiling teacher

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Examples of unsmiling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web My segments are all totally deadpan, unsmiling, sarcastic. — Michael Ian Black, The Atlantic, "To My Son: Men Have to ‘Allow Ourselves to Be Loved’," 15 Sep. 2020 There is a photograph of the act in which Houdini’s unsmiling face sticks out above the can (his knees were pulled up to his chest). — David Denby, The New Yorker, "Harry Houdini and the Art of Escape," 23 Mar. 2020 Moser’s front cover comes to us without words: just a Richard Avedon photo from 1978, with its subject in a dark turtleneck and loose leather jacket, lean and handsome and unsmiling, yet maybe just a bit amused. — Michael Gorra, The New York Review of Books, "Young Woman from the Provinces," 11 Feb. 2020 The visual design of the show is exceptional, from Andrés’s cerulean hair and asymmetrical ruffled blouses to the creepily pastel dental office where the unsmiling Úrsula works. — Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, "Off-Kilter Humor on “Los Espookys” and “Alternatino”," 1 July 2019 So how did fashion’s favorite unsmiling doyenne end up dabbling in the fine arts? — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "Is Victoria Beckham the Most Fashionable Patron of the Arts?," 25 Jan. 2019 The tough criticism, made to an audience of the world’s security elite, including an unsmiling Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, was a European riposte to Trump’s ongoing push for Europe to spend more on defense. — Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, "German defense minister slams Trump’s military-heavy approach to security," 16 Feb. 2018 Even typically unsmiling army and security personnel enjoyed the moment, laughing and high-fiving along with the throng. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Whatever happens, Vladimir Putin is winning the World Cup," 1 July 2018 Fetine looks into the camera, unsmiling, with a gaze betraying some resentment about the choice made for her. — Washington Post, "Search for ‘lost brides’ of Cyprus stirs painful past," 25 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unsmiling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Unsmiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsmiling. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021.

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