as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
humorless people who can't see the lighter side of life
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Recent Examples of humorless
But the finished product feels relatively humorless, leaving the cast looking silly in scenes that might conceivably have flown if played as deadpan comedy — not a tenor achieved or seemingly even aimed for here.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
Worst of all, Phillips has intentionally or unintentionally created a bizarro, humorless version of My Cousin Vinny.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 4 Oct. 2024
Creating online classrooms as ‘humorless’ venues deprives both teachers and students of an incredibly powerful communication asset.
—Maja Zelihic, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024
Another criticism was Dragon generally had a depressive and humorless vibe (Martin’s books do not, and are full of dark humor, as was Thrones).
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for humorless
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
Worst of all, Phillips has intentionally or unintentionally created a bizarro, humorless version of My Cousin Vinny.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 4 Oct. 2024
Creating online classrooms as ‘humorless’ venues deprives both teachers and students of an incredibly powerful communication asset.
—Maja Zelihic, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024
Another criticism was Dragon generally had a depressive and humorless vibe (Martin’s books do not, and are full of dark humor, as was Thrones).
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for humorless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humorless
Adjective
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Handheld digital images give way to more solemn documentary reveries, which give way to surveillance footage and TikTok-style social media interludes.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
17 May 2025
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The scenes involving Alma and Erika, both of whom grow up in worlds dominated by a solemn patriarchy and plagued by hardship, feel like they were drawn from period horror movies.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Created by a Benedictine monk with a serious eye for detail, this whimsical stop features 125 tiny, handcrafted replicas of famous historic landmarks, like St. Peter’s Basilica and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, all located on the grounds of Alabama’s only Benedictine monastery, St. Bernard Abbey.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
24 May 2025
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Seven restaurants were closed because of serious health violations: Chuys Restaurant, 4441 River Oaks Blvd., had a score of 27 and was closed because of unsafe temperatures in the restaurant’s cold storage units.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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And Hannah Waddingham gives a good, stern space-lady as the voice of the Galactic Grand Councilwoman.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
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In Kurosawa’s version, the chauffeur was an exceedingly meek man who got down on the floor to beg his stern shoe-manufacturer boss, played by the great Toshiro Mifune, to save his son.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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Prima felt that there was something humiliating in Ruth’s loyalty to Thalia, and in her unsmiling scrutiny of Heiss.—
Lillian Fishman,
New Yorker,
4 May 2025
Adjective
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Director Dean Fleischer Camp’s family adventure feels like an excessively earnest Disney Channel movie compared with the delightfully unhinged 2002 cartoon.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 May 2025
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Blissfully, the 2002 film Lilo & Stitch gets an adaptation that is vibrant, whimsical, and earnest (and also cute and fluffy!).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humorless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humorless. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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