straight face

American

noun

a serious or impassive facial expression that conceals one's true feelings about something, especially a desire to laugh.

straight face British

noun

a serious facial expression, esp one that conceals the impulse to laugh

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

straight face Idioms

see keep a straight face.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of straight face

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The paper “published this piece with zero evidence. And we’re all just supposed to sit here with a straight face and take it like it is some sort of truth.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

And I remember thinking, “oh my gosh, that someone could say that with a straight face? What am I doing here?”

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

The film boldly contemplates the atmosphere of Brontë’s novel with both a straight face and a sense of humor.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2026

If such denials can be made with a straight face, they may carry the day when a prosecution is at stake.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

“I believe you,” I said, trying to maintain a straight face myself.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023