variants
also stoney
as in stern
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the judge's stony demeanor didn't raise the defendant's hopes for a more lenient sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stony
Her stony expression at this news indicates that Peter should maybe sleep with one eye open.
—
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
The complexities of her character mirrored in her stony, resentful stare, in her grim, unforgiving mouth, will always baffle and enthrall.
—E.r. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
Havoc brings the heat, throwing Tom Hardy's stony Walker into a hotbed of gangsters, dirty cops, corrupt elites, and wicked assassins.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Yeo, with even less to work with, fares a little better with her stony matriarch character, doing a lot with a simple tilt of her face to the sky and a single tear.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stony
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
The complexities of her character mirrored in her stony, resentful stare, in her grim, unforgiving mouth, will always baffle and enthrall.
—E.r. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
Havoc brings the heat, throwing Tom Hardy's stony Walker into a hotbed of gangsters, dirty cops, corrupt elites, and wicked assassins.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Yeo, with even less to work with, fares a little better with her stony matriarch character, doing a lot with a simple tilt of her face to the sky and a single tear.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stony
Adjective
-
It’s submerged 11 to 15 feet deep, with its stern facing the shore.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 June 2025
-
Tonight: Explore! TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ★★★ Avoid arguments with others today, which might arise with Mercury in your House of Communications at odds with stern Saturn.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The two men shook hands, and Mamdani slipped away looking grim.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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Appearances aren’t deceptive; the portents are grim.—
Christian Schneider,
National Review,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Related Stories Said to be the first book in a series, Little Hands watches as a young British woman with a mysterious past inadvertently joins a ruthless gang of female thieves who rob the ultra-wealthy along the French Riviera.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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New threats emerge, including a ruthless new villain (Bill Skarsgård) and a blind assassin from Wick’s past, played by Donnie Yen in a standout performance.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Some of them include washing with harsh shampoos, particularly those with sulfates or alcohol; overusing scalp scrubs or clarifying products; and not washing frequently enough.—
Jamie Wilson,
Glamour,
16 June 2025
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Unlike many traditional sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate—two common culprits behind coral bleaching—reef-safe formulas skip the harsh stuff in favor of ocean-friendly alternatives that tend to also be gentler on sensitive skin.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Ipswich proved obdurate and then generous opponents — Newcastle’s 78 per cent possession was the highest by any team in a Premier League match this season — and their relegation was confirmed by this 3-0 defeat.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Whatever regime emerges could well be even more radical and obdurate.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The title, in Muslim eschatology, refers to a narrow bridge between Paradise and Hell, which is fitting, insofar as Laxe’s movie is both a nightmarish experience and an exhilarating one—a pitiless ordeal that is nonetheless underpinned by extraordinary love and tenderness.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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Gilroy drew upon his lifelong study of historical revolutions to inform the show’s interweaving storylines of payroll heists and gulag escapes, street riots and false flag operations, squabbling freedom fighters and pitiless secret police.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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The film is cold-bloodedly whimsical, asking the audience to root for a merciless man who endeavors, ever so incrementally, to understand some deeper human truths.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
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Unless stopped, Trump and the Republicans who follow him may go down as the most merciless and morally bankrupt leaders this country has ever produced.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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In Mind For startups, achieving more with less can be tough.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
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The vote took place against an increasingly violent backlash to the Trump administration's tough immigration policies.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stony. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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