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
Their worldview that being on the right side of history doesn’t necessitate being humorless scolds turned out to be a contagious one that has since found its way into stand-up.
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Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
One client found a way to use humor with a stereotypically humorless customer base: accountants.
—Ellie Victor, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Right now, the powers that be in America, humorless and self-aggrandizing, are hell-bent on running down whatever lies in their path.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 1 June 2025
There is plenty of commentary, even among users of other platforms, about how Threads is bloodless (and owned by Mark Zuckerberg), Mastodon is inscrutable, and Bluesky is humorless.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for humorless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humorless
Adjective
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More than five hours after the crash, there was a solemn procession off of Route 146 led by Massachusetts State Police, followed by the medical examiner and fellow police officers.—
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That this is a serious matter—not slight at all—does not oblige the author of a seriously funny book to be solemn.—
Adjective
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The lawsuit names specific brands — including cereals, pizzas, sodas, and potato chips — linking them to serious health problems.—
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Kittle was carted off the field, indicating a serious injury, after he was tackled by safety Marcus Epps at the right sideline.—
Adjective
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Several French and Italian citizens were among the dead, and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for stern punishment to be meted out to those responsible for the blaze.—
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Continue reading … FLIP-FLOP – Reporter claims Harris privately joked about question before stern response.—
Adjective
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Often taunted by tabloids for her unsmiling demeanor, Victoria shows off her sense of humor and gets real about some of the most difficult parts of her past, including her struggles with an eating disorder and almost losing her fashion business entirely.—
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The single mother of three was at her job that morning when she was asked to report immediately to the front of the building, where Wainscott was met by police officers — who showed her a photo of an unsmiling man in his early 30s, with short brown hair and a light goatee.—
Adjective
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The Abbott Elementary actor plays Sheriff Mark Mylow, a deeply earnest man who is dealing with a broken heart after school teacher Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer) ended their engagement.—
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The industry loves an inside-out moment, and embracing Disney’s most famous—and famously earnest —mascot offers an opportunity to imbue the 97-year-old cartoon rodent with some real edge.—
Cite this Entry
“Humorless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humorless. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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