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
Credit perhaps goes to Belew’s fellowship with Zappa, or Fripp’s growing resistance to being pegged as some humorless tyrant.
—
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Funny novels are invariably more serious than humorless ones.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Fueled by a humorless fear of precisely the human experiences and emotions that connect us, book banning ironically often metamorphosizes into acts of promotion, and just as often ends up exposing vile and corrosive hypocrisy in those lighting the matches.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
In Prime 4, Samus is humorless, simply nodding along while others try their best at second-rate comedy.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humorless
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Funny novels are invariably more serious than humorless ones.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Fueled by a humorless fear of precisely the human experiences and emotions that connect us, book banning ironically often metamorphosizes into acts of promotion, and just as often ends up exposing vile and corrosive hypocrisy in those lighting the matches.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
In Prime 4, Samus is humorless, simply nodding along while others try their best at second-rate comedy.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humorless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humorless
Adjective
-
The annual solemn ceremony was a kickoff to Patriot Week.—
Paul Burton,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
Despite the crowds, the rousing music, and the excitement, Washington’s departure was a solemn affair, freighted by the stunning fact that the American colonies were now truly at war with the British Empire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The number of teams and bowls involved could shift as discussions become more serious.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny over e-bikes and e-motorcycles across Southern California following several serious and fatal crashes involving young riders.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Jansa has been a stern critic of Golob's government, including Slovenia's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
Christophe is the spry, imaginative middle child to a stern farmer dad in an economically depressed countryside.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.—
John DeVore,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2026
-
After school one day, an unsmiling official from a mysterious worldwide organization, Eva Stratt (played by German actress Sandra Hüller, of Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest), accosts him and humorlessly recruits him for a special project.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Though soaps were not without their occasional levity, the earnest self-seriousness of their proceedings often prevented them from engaging in self-reflexive critique.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
None of these fairly typical first-film shortcomings, however, comes at much cost to the film’s relaxed, unexpectedly earnest charm.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humorless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humorless. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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