PO-FACED Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

po-faced

adjective

ˈpō-ˌfāst

Definition of po-faced

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for po-faced

Adjective

Yom Kippur, which is coming on Monday, is the most solemn time on the Jewish calendar, is a day of introspection, self-examination, self-evaluation, and self-reflection.

— Marc Schneier, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
The night, centered on the foundation’s ongoing push to fund a cure and support those stigmatized by their HIV status, didn’t end on that solemn note.

— Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of solemn

Adjective

Flight attendants, pilots, and nurses all highly recommend compression socks because of their ability to improve circulation, reduce soreness, and curb the very serious risk of developing blood clots as a result of prolonged immobility.

— Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026
Drones are also becoming an increasingly serious problem for airplane pilots.

— Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of serious

Adjective

As the Pacific Princess’ Captain Stubing, Gavin MacLeod played the stern yet beloved authority figure better than many might’ve expected, given how closely he’d become associated with comedy by that point.

— Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2026
The new trailer for Paper Tiger transfers this dynamic onto the scene of a rehabilitation project for New York City’s Gowanus Canal, resulting in far graver consequences than a stern talking-to from mom.

— Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 22 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

The conviction is genuine and earnest, even if the priorities tell another story.

— Bill Koch, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Within ideologies like effective altruism, very earnest and brilliant young minds unironically debate the purpose of putting on sunscreen if AI is only going to kill us all.

— Rumman Chowdhury, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Po-faced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/po-faced. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of po-faced

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes