Meaning & use
straight-faced
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Showing no sign of humor or emotion in your expression, especially when saying something funny or untrue.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a straight-faced reply, he stayed straight-faced.
Patterns
- stay straight-faced
- a straight-faced reply
She stayed straight-faced while telling the funniest joke.
He gave a straight-faced answer, though everyone knew he was teasing.
The actor was famous for his straight-faced comedy.
Common combinations
- remain straight-faced
- It was hard to remain straight-faced during the speech.
- straight-faced humor
- Her straight-faced humor makes people laugh.
- say it straight-faced
- He said it straight-faced, but his eyes were smiling.
- straight-faced reply
- His straight-faced reply fooled the whole class.
Synonyms and how they differ
- deadpan
- Deadpan describes deliberately expressionless comedy, so it is more specific to humor than straight-faced.
- poker-faced
- Poker-faced stresses hiding your real thoughts, not just staying serious.
- expressionless
- Expressionless is a plain description that does not suggest any joke or effort.
Opposites
Word family
- face noun
- the front of the head
- straight face noun
- a serious expression that hides amusement
- straight-facedly adverb
- in a way that shows no emotion
Commonly confused: straight-faced or straight-laced?
straight-faced vs straight-laced
The correct word is strait-laced, meaning very strict about behavior, which is a different idea.
Practice
The comedian told the joke ___, and only later did the audience start laughing.
Choose one answer.
Straight-faced means showing no sign of amusement. Grinning and giggling are the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “straight-faced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.