as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
delivered the reprimand with a harsh and unsmiling face
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Recent Examples of unsmiling
The camera showed an unsmiling Taurasi shaking her head.
—
Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
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
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
Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
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
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
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Good Friday is a solemn day for Christians, who may reflect, fast and attend special church services.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Feb. 2026
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Inside, the line of those who’d come to see Jackson stretched down the center aisle, and mourners walked in to the sound of solemn gospel music and prayer.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The sternest test for Gochis (31-2) came from the previously unbeaten Nidelea-Polanin (25-1).—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
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But Emerald was made of sterner stuff.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Judges, rather than legislators or business leaders, are making serious efforts to address the implications of artificial intelligence for society, as demonstrated by recent federal court rulings on copyright and attorney-client privilege.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Bottega Veneta’s Maxi Veneta bag and those impossible-to-find Jacquemus x Nike Moon shoes give it serious street style cred—reminding us to always incorporate statement accessories amongst everyday essentials.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsmiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsmiling. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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