as in earnestness
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Recent Examples of humorlessness
One of my major disappointments in a lot of the writing was its humorlessness.
—
Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humorlessness
Noun
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With a sprinkle of '80s nonsensical wit, Splash is an easy-breezy watch that finds its place in the sun by being ridiculously campy while grounding itself in earnestness, thanks to Hanks and Hannah's bewitching lead performances.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Jan. 2026
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And his earnestness is inspiring.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As Agathe comes to understand the extent of her troubles, Exarchopoulos’ performance achieves a sorrowful gravitas.—
Jon Frosch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2023
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But this reboot had gravitas, for Larroquette at least.—
Alexis Soloski,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2023
Noun
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In the years following Wallace’s death, this aura of saintliness likely derived from the combination of his moral seriousness as a fiction writer—his attunement to the heroism of private suffering and emotional endurance—and the fact of his premature end.—
Hermione Hoby,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Teshuva requires internal reflection, genuine remorse, and an acknowledgement of the seriousness of harm caused.—
Guila Benchimol,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At the time, the act seemed to defy French political gravity.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Under the plan, the CYZ1 vehicle could launch as early as 2028, offering passengers a brief zero-gravity experience at an altitude of 100 kilometers.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The parallel: Reid had known Spagnuolo for decades, starting in earnest when Reid was an assistant coach at Mizzou and Spagnuolo was a frequent visitor.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
21 Jan. 2026
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Negotiations to establish the bank started in earnest in 2014, as several Asian economies like India and Indonesia chose to join the new institution as members.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
14 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Since then, Máxima has reserved it for state dinners and high-level diplomatic events, combining it with contemporary styles that allow the rubies to stand out without stiffness or excessive solemnity.—
Marta Martínez Tato,
Vanity Fair,
25 Jan. 2026
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Zohran Mamdani’s genial grin would have seemed unsustainably mild in the angry eighties, when Koch’s sarcasm fenced with Giuliani’s snarl, occasionally relieved by Mario Cuomo’s solemnity.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humorlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humorlessness. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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