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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 Chris is young and eager to impress; Duncan, who’s being reluctantly put out to pasture after this last mission, is jokey and irreverent (not a stretch for Harrelson); and Dave is ultra-serious, conveying authority through his stolid demeanor. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Blink Twice nods at a tangle of different contemporary ailments: lifestyle fetishism, wellness hedonism, our obscene fealty to stolid tech bros and their untrammeled wealth. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024 Allies say Starmer’s stolid exterior hides a steely ambition and a determination to win. Jill Lawless, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2024 Its plot is as clever as its imagination is stolid, its subjects are as serious as its approach to them is bland. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for stolid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stolid
Adjective
  • The first Tron had played out as a series of face-offs featuring glowing figures against a black background, replicating the blank environment of an arcade screen.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • Wear it as a blank canvas, or switch things up with a statement belt.
    Catie Pusateri, Glamour, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Guthrie, her fiancé, took to casually goading Loeb about how Twysden now spurned him, while Loeb accepted the insults with a stoic passivity, mooning over Twysden, the others felt, like a lovesick puppy.
    Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
  • His Superman is also very passionate and vocal, breaking from the traditionally stoic hero.
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Their faces were impassive, but their eyes had lids and lashes that blinked.
    Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • Williams, looking scruffy in tan prison scrubs, was impassive throughout the proceedings — glancing back at his family only once before being led away.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • The company poured $10 billion into its Reality Labs division last year, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was criticized last week after posting a selfie that showed an expressionless version of his avatar in front of the Eiffel Tower.
    Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2022
Adjective
  • Outside of the players, the series did leave several survivors, including the game’s enigmatic overseer, The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who ended his time on the series by tracking down Gi-hun’s estranged daughter, Ga-yeong (Jo Ah-in), in Los Angeles.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
  • Or, is this high-profile loss, and others of recent vintage, for the middle lane of the Democratic Party due more to poor centrist standard-bearers (and enigmatic extremists) rather than the actual political positions themselves?
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • With one seat vacant, there are 10 people on the Tarrant GOP Executive Committee, according to the Tarrant GOP website.
    Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2025
  • To the east, near the intersection of Garden Street, the city already is seeking to acquire three parcels of land — two parking lots and a vacant warehouse 255 Garden St., and 51 and 101 Homestead Ave. — for $1.6 million.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stolid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stolid. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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