as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
humorless people who can't see the lighter side of life
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Recent Examples of humorless
Credit perhaps goes to Belew’s fellowship with Zappa, or Fripp’s growing resistance to being pegged as some humorless tyrant.
—
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Funny novels are invariably more serious than humorless ones.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Fueled by a humorless fear of precisely the human experiences and emotions that connect us, book banning ironically often metamorphosizes into acts of promotion, and just as often ends up exposing vile and corrosive hypocrisy in those lighting the matches.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
In Prime 4, Samus is humorless, simply nodding along while others try their best at second-rate comedy.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humorless
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Funny novels are invariably more serious than humorless ones.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Fueled by a humorless fear of precisely the human experiences and emotions that connect us, book banning ironically often metamorphosizes into acts of promotion, and just as often ends up exposing vile and corrosive hypocrisy in those lighting the matches.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
In Prime 4, Samus is humorless, simply nodding along while others try their best at second-rate comedy.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humorless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humorless
Adjective
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On May 1, Maryland observed Fallen Heroes Day, a solemn reminder of the extraordinary sacrifice made by the men and women who answer the call to serve others.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
-
Protesters carried myriad homemade signs, some tongue-in-cheek, some more solemn.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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The number of teams and bowls involved could shift as discussions become more serious.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny over e-bikes and e-motorcycles across Southern California following several serious and fatal crashes involving young riders.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Yet Gilgeous-Alexander’s own diagnosis of his night, stern and accountable, showed no trace of concern.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
His father, a billboard magnate, was a stern man who would whip his son with a razor strap for stepping out of line, but the youngster refused to capitulate to his dad’s authority.—
Paul Bond,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.—
John DeVore,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2026
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After school one day, an unsmiling official from a mysterious worldwide organization, Eva Stratt (played by German actress Sandra Hüller, of Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest), accosts him and humorlessly recruits him for a special project.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There can, of course, be earnest debates about diversity initiatives.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
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What if the space race hadn’t ended and humanity had kept pushing into the stars in earnest?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humorless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humorless. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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