po-faced

adjective

ˈpō-ˌfāst How to pronounce po-faced (audio)
Definition of po-facednext
British
as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner we rarely invite her to our parties because she's always so po-faced

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for po-faced
  1. solemn
  2. serious
  3. stern
  4. humorless
  5. earnest
Adjective
  • The slow chimes of Big Ben sounded, and then the newsreader’s solemn voice with the headlines.
    — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, the new king will receive a solemn ecclesiastical blessing in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of solemn
Adjective
  • Wearing something slightly more playful also helped keep the whole day from feeling too serious or dramatic.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But then Sandy stops by for a friendly chat, and his daughter Nina (Zosia Mamet, ice-cold and slightly underused) gets serious.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • Khan himself stars as the outwardly stern but inwardly soft-hearted Etienne, who heads up the dozen-strong medical team.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The almost 1,100-foot-long warship was covered in rust from bow to stern.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • Walker joins as the imposing, entitled and humorless Peter Van Laar III, the wealthy heir to the Van Laar estate, whose behavior is a struggle for both his wife, Alice, and 13-year-old daughter.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 May 2026
  • Patton, a notoriously tough and humorless commander, considered Willy and Joe to be a threat to discipline and morale — quite the opposite of the way many fans saw them.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of humorless
Adjective
  • Amid a national cinema that has become internationally recognized for perverse plotting and deadpan absurdism, writer-director Alexis Alexiou‘s third feature stands out for its stark storytelling and earnest emotional intensity.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But there’s also a subtle rejection of the earnest wokeness of years past.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of earnest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

poets laureate
po-faced
pogrom
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Cite this Entry

“Po-faced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/po-faced. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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