Definition of stolidnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word stolid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stolid are apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, and stoic. While all these words mean "unresponsive to something that might normally excite interest or emotion," stolid implies a habitual absence of interest, responsiveness, or curiosity.

stolid workers wedded to routine

In what contexts can apathetic take the place of stolid?

The synonyms apathetic and stolid are sometimes interchangeable, but apathetic may imply a puzzling or deplorable indifference or inertness.

charitable appeals met an apathetic response

When would impassive be a good substitute for stolid?

While in some cases nearly identical to stolid, impassive stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression.

met the news with an impassive look

When could phlegmatic be used to replace stolid?

While the synonyms phlegmatic and stolid are close in meaning, phlegmatic implies a temperament or constitution hard to arouse.

a phlegmatic man unmoved by tears

Where would stoic be a reasonable alternative to stolid?

The meanings of stoic and stolid largely overlap; however, stoic implies an apparent indifference to pleasure or especially to pain often as a matter of principle or self-discipline.

was resolutely stoic even in adversity

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stolid The Roosevelt, a stolid 19 masonry floors, can’t compete in this new game. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026 Even Universal’s stolid Lew Wasserman was suddenly looking for buyers and firing existing staff. Peter Bart, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025 Joel Edgerton plays Robert Grainier, an orphan who grows up to be a stolid working man. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 21 Nov. 2025 Though deBessonet’s production strips away a lot of the bunting, Ragtime has a stolid and demonstrative core and an educational tone worthy of EPCOT. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stolid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stolid
Adjective
  • The entire thing is a beautifully chaotic blank canvas for Sacramento’s music community to collaborate and mishmash within itself, to forge a platoon of one-off troupes and ramshackle supergroups — check out some prior videos on the event’s Instagram.
    Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
  • Her blank face fills the screen.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • However, when a stoic drifter named Herald Loomis (Joshua Boone) and his young daughter, Zonia (Savannah Commodore) arrive on their doorstep, the Holly’s world turns on its axis.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
  • No manuscript of American history is complete without footnotes to its bookstores, and many of them have been much more than stoic spectators to the country’s evolution.
    Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Bakri’s face is impassive and exhausted during this casual debasement, his voice low, and his tone deadpan, as though Salim has been forced to do all this a million times before.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Dressed in a blue sweatshirt and surrounded by court officers, Henderson remained impassive.
    Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The routine calls for this chic, almost expressionless vibe — very different from a typical K-pop performance.
    Billboard Korea, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025
  • Bale ran to the corner of the pitch, and, having been an expressionless bystander for much of the evening, shouted in ecstasy.
    Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • At the sweet sound of the final whistle, Martin Odegaard rolled onto the turf and lay there motionless.
    Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Video from the scene showed Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters using a jack to raise the wreckage of a car off a motionless person and check for vital signs.
    City News Service, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • This elliptical, enigmatic sentence, with its palindromic form (not unlike that of the Heart Sutra), signals the main thrust of Pau’s work, which employs structures of looping, repetition, and recursion to explore the space of ambiguity and uncertainty.
    Pauline J. Yao, Artforum, 2 May 2026
  • The enigmatic artist took credit for the work in a humorous video, posted to his Instagram page Thursday, which showed workers erecting the statue under the cover of night.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • Carpentersville firefighters this week are using a vacant home at 14 Golfview Lane for training exercises.
    Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Jimmie Hayes, 50, was arrested Wednesday inside a vacant home in the 1000 block of Read Street, the Wilmington Police Department said in a news release.
    Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stolid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stolid. Accessed 4 May. 2026.

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