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 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 That there is, in fact, a mysticism engrained within the stolid, that the compulsion to produce isn’t inconsistent with inspiration, but an extension of it? Literary Hub, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for stolid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stolid
Adjective
  • Relying on complimentary onboard entertainment alone can leave you stuck staring at a blank screen—but the $12 Flight Flap turns your phone into a dependable entertainment hub.
    Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026
  • The script’s blank spots and evasions leave the drama feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfying.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • To this, the stoic Bednar raised an uncharacteristic (and bruised) eyebrow.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Is there an art to talking to famous people who are famously stoic about their personal life and famously put up boundaries everywhere?
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 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
  • The usual sounds of practice, music, whistles, coaching, all stopped as Ibukun-Okeyode lay motionless on the ground.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Videos circulating on social media showed driverless cars sitting motionless in active roadways, some blocking lanes and intersections.
    Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Charlie's Angels centered on three private investigators who, under orders from their enigmatic but never visible boss, Charlie Townsend, solved cases together using their wits and style.
    Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
  • An investigation by The New York Times used biographical details and writing style comparisons to make the case that Adam Back was the cryptocurrency’s enigmatic founder.
    Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Producers then planned to move the show into a vacant 42nd Street building that once housed New York’s Playboy Club, but after extensive renovations that turned the venue into a working Nashville-style honky-tonk bar, the run was scotched days before previews were to begin last March.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
  • City workers began cleaning up a North Hollywood nuisance property on Thursday, after neighbors complained for a decade about the vacant residential lot where a home once stood.
    Julie Sharp, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stolid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stolid. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

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