as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
delivered the reprimand with a harsh and unsmiling face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 unsmiling
The portrait's lack of background and Trump's unsmiling gaze further differentiates it from those of his predecessors.
—
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 4 June 2025
And often next to Ed, holding a single malt, there would be an unsmiling writer of great pretension looking down at you from a great height.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
The card's main feature is Trump's face — staring downwards at the camera, unsmiling — and is flanked by the Statue of Liberty, a circle of stars and Trump's signature.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
His Rick Honeycutt is utterly humorless, but the movie isn’t; there are plenty of laughs in pitting his deadpan impatience — conveyed by an unsmiling mouth under a push-broom mustache — against the idiot confidence of Billy Crudup’s man-child entrepreneur.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unsmiling
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 4 June 2025
And often next to Ed, holding a single malt, there would be an unsmiling writer of great pretension looking down at you from a great height.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
The card's main feature is Trump's face — staring downwards at the camera, unsmiling — and is flanked by the Statue of Liberty, a circle of stars and Trump's signature.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
His Rick Honeycutt is utterly humorless, but the movie isn’t; there are plenty of laughs in pitting his deadpan impatience — conveyed by an unsmiling mouth under a push-broom mustache — against the idiot confidence of Billy Crudup’s man-child entrepreneur.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unsmiling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsmiling
Adjective
-
With interest growing significantly in recent years, attendees are reminded that this is a solemn event.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The elephants were more solemn and inward-looking than we are typically shown, the zebras startlingly intricate and finely drawn.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Its 42-foot Torpedo RS is built with a more dramatic hourglass profile, enhanced by stylish stern winglets that deliver sharper turns and a drier ride in swells.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
26 Oct. 2025
-
China conducted military exercises in Serbia in July despite stern warnings from the European Union, and Belgrade provides Beijing with a security foothold in Europe.—
Chris Massaro,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rule out any more serious conditions.—
RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan,
Health,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Springsteen has been open over the years about navigating depression, which began to get serious during his early 30s.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unsmiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsmiling. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share