variants
also stoney
as in stern
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the judge's stony demeanor didn't raise the defendant's hopes for a more lenient sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stony
This stony assassin may well be orbiting the sun at this very moment, careening down a celestial path that could, one day, intersect with ours.
—
Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Sifting through the stony dirt of southern Italy, a team of archaeologists expected to find some ancient Roman ruins, but the 1,700-year-old burial ground that reemerged hid a few surprises.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
Romer may one day look up at the stony faces of Daniel Boone or Betsy Ross in their patriotic splendor and decide that her sacrifice was worth it.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
Then stony coral tissue loss disease arrived in 2014, decimating corals in a deadly wave along Florida's reefs.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stony
Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Sifting through the stony dirt of southern Italy, a team of archaeologists expected to find some ancient Roman ruins, but the 1,700-year-old burial ground that reemerged hid a few surprises.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
Romer may one day look up at the stony faces of Daniel Boone or Betsy Ross in their patriotic splendor and decide that her sacrifice was worth it.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
Then stony coral tissue loss disease arrived in 2014, decimating corals in a deadly wave along Florida's reefs.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stony
Adjective
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The president shared no caption alongside the image, which depicts him sitting with a stern expression and holding up one finger while wearing white and gold papal attire, including a large cross necklace.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
3 May 2025
-
However, none will have criminal records after their cases are adjudicated, under a deal the district attorney offered during a stern press conference on Tuesday.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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His grim work handling dead sheep gives the movie its title, but little time is actually spent at Stan’s job.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Set in a grim, unnamed American city, Havoc follows a bruised detective, played by Hardy, who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son, all while unraveling the deep layers of corruption.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
To his critics, his centralization of power and ruthless purge of opponents put Malaysia on an authoritarian trajectory.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
2 May 2025
-
There’s an undercurrent of electricity between her and the ruthless cartel leader (Salma Hayek) using her as a bargaining chip, but Stone is too cowardly to let the hotties smooch, squandering the only energy Lively was able to muster for this potent strain of mess.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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This recent New York Times piece highlights some of the harsh realities along with the misperceptions.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
President Donald Trump has launched harsh immigration actions in his first 100 days in office—detaining more people for immigration violations, allowing arrests outside schools and courthouses, and sending more than 200 Venezuelan men to be imprisoned in El Salvador.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Ipswich proved obdurate and then generous opponents — Newcastle’s 78 per cent possession was the highest by any team in a Premier League match this season — and their relegation was confirmed by this 3-0 defeat.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Whatever regime emerges could well be even more radical and obdurate.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And to think, this pitiless conquistador came to North America as a humble kitchen herb, deliberately imported by European settlers for its piquant flavor.—
Zoë Lescaze,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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This is Lynskey in The Last of Us mode, pitiless and unrelenting, and teeing her up against an aligned Misty and Tai is the most exciting development that could have come out of an originally aimless-feeling season.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In Season 4 of the Max comedy (streaming weekly on Thursdays), Deborah (Jean Smart) is struggling to find her ground amid a merciless feud with head writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder).—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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The math of those slices off the point totals was merciless: Should a big prep draw a field of less than five, a 50-point second place was reduced to a 25-point place showing, which can mean the difference between getting a stall in the Churchill gate and not getting to race.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Published in English, Tehelka had a small circulation but an outsized reputation for tough investigations.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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Four times, he’s used it to strikeout hitters, with the horizontal break being tough to pick up.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stony. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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