1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word stolid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stolid are apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, and stoic. While all these words mean "unresponsive to something that might normally excite interest or emotion," stolid implies a habitual absence of interest, responsiveness, or curiosity.

stolid workers wedded to routine

In what contexts can apathetic take the place of stolid?

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

charitable appeals met an apathetic response

When would impassive be a good substitute for stolid?

While in some cases nearly identical to stolid, impassive stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression.

met the news with an impassive look

When could phlegmatic be used to replace stolid?

While the synonyms phlegmatic and stolid are close in meaning, phlegmatic implies a temperament or constitution hard to arouse.

a phlegmatic man unmoved by tears

Where would stoic be a reasonable alternative to stolid?

The meanings of stoic and stolid largely overlap; however, 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

Examples 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 stolid In truth, not even the most stolid skeptic maintains that Trump is a perfectly normal politician, and not even the most histrionic #Resistance foot soldier believes that Trump is literally Orange Hitler. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2024 Buck is more reassuringly stolid than live-wire Bucky, but both are models of courage. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024 Aidan, a character designed to contrast Chris Noth’s withholding Mr. Big and originally scheduled for just three episodes, was also, like much classic American furniture, stolid and unyielding. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 20 June 2023 The entrance to the management building, a stolid modernist structure, was dominated by bronze letters reading cccp. Elettra Pauletto, Harper's Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for stolid 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stolid
Adjective
  • To immediately set the mood, decorate your grand entrance with a photo op: This could be as simple as hanging a banner on a blank wall and flanking it with some flowers.
    Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Dec. 2024
  • The first is when Beth’s aunt, the famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, asked them point blank if they were getting married.
    Elise Taylor, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • On May 24, stoic Saturn will also enter Aries, forcing you to get serious and grounded in your routine over the course of the next two years.
    Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The heart wrenching film, based on a book by author Colleen Hoover, follows a flower shop owner named Lily Blossom Bloom (Lively), who falls in love with a dashing neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) and reconnects with her stoic childhood sweetheart, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar).
    Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • As for the Bruckner, the Berliners succeeded in animating a figure who is too often treated as an impassive statue.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Navigating the new era of AI innovation While Keith Davidson faces ongoing questioning, former president Donald Trump is largely an impassive figure in...
    Washington Post, Washington Post, 25 May 2024
Adjective
  • Subjects were shown pictures of two expressionless male faces over and over.
    Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 11 Sep. 2012
  • 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
  • Cold Water’s draw is therefore palpable, with Lincoln playing a repressed man who moves to a Scottish village and strikes up a relationship with an enigmatic neighbor, played by the always brilliant Ewen Bremner.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2024
  • There is also the lovely enigmatic space between authorial voice and the voice of the book, which can take on a character of its own, and the voice of its characters.
    Erik Pedersen, Orange County Register, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the blaze around 11 a.m. on South Hope Street, arriving to find the four-story vacant building on fire, according to a department news release.
    Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
  • The structure fire was located on the top floor of the vacant four-story building located at 1246 S Hope St. A total of 17 fire companies and more than 100 firefighters, knocked down the blaze in 1 hour and 37 minutes, the LAFD said.
    Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 26 Dec. 2024

Podcast

Thesaurus Entries Near stolid

Cite this Entry

“Stolid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stolid. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on stolid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!