Definition of impassivenext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word impassive distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of impassive are apathetic, phlegmatic, stoic, and stolid. While all these words mean "unresponsive to something that might normally excite interest or emotion," impassive stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression.

met the news with an impassive look

When is apathetic a more appropriate choice than impassive?

The synonyms apathetic and impassive are sometimes interchangeable, but apathetic may imply a puzzling or deplorable indifference or inertness.

charitable appeals met an apathetic response

When is it sensible to use phlegmatic instead of impassive?

Although the words phlegmatic and impassive have much in common, phlegmatic implies a temperament or constitution hard to arouse.

a phlegmatic man unmoved by tears

Where would stoic be a reasonable alternative to impassive?

The words stoic and impassive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When could stolid be used to replace impassive?

The words stolid and impassive can be used in similar contexts, but stolid implies a habitual absence of interest, responsiveness, or curiosity.

stolid workers wedded to routine

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 impassive The Stoic philosophers, fixated on the impassive, idealized masculine, wrote often of death, attempting to acknowledge its inevitability while staring untroubled into its abyss. Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026 In contrast to Garcia, who was famously impassive onstage, Weir had front-man energy. David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026 Modern buildings go up in the impassive lunar desert. Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025 There are also plenty of promotional materials dating from the building’s launch, and in one video clip, Kurokawa sells the merits of the building to an impassive audience of smoking businessmen. Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impassive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impassive
Adjective
  • Her back stiffens, and her usually stoic face is visibly gripped by fear.
    Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 28 Apr. 2026
  • While his son battled against Fonseca Sunday night, his father sat stoic and alone — no hometown entourage in sight — in the courtside players’ box.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The entire thing is a beautifully chaotic blank canvas for Sacramento’s music community to collaborate and mishmash within itself, to forge a platoon of one-off troupes and ramshackle supergroups — check out some prior videos on the event’s Instagram.
    Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
  • Her blank face fills the screen.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 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
  • Suliman stood motionless while Infantino and Rajoub continued an impassioned conversation which lasted several minutes.
    Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • As one pipe blows up under their feet, two mercs go motionless and begin to drift away into the void.
    Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • This elliptical, enigmatic sentence, with its palindromic form (not unlike that of the Heart Sutra), signals the main thrust of Pau’s work, which employs structures of looping, repetition, and recursion to explore the space of ambiguity and uncertainty.
    Pauline J. Yao, Artforum, 2 May 2026
  • The enigmatic artist took credit for the work in a humorous video, posted to his Instagram page Thursday, which showed workers erecting the statue under the cover of night.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Impassive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impassive. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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