stolid

[stol-id]

See more synonyms for stolid on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive.

Origin of stolid

First recorded in 1590–1600, stolid is from the Latin word stolidus inert, dull, stupid

Related formssto·lid·i·ty

[stuh-lid-i-tee] /stəˈlɪd ɪ ti/, stol·id·ness, nounstol·id·ly, adverb

Can be confusedsolid stolid

Synonyms

See more synonyms for stolid on Thesaurus.com

apathetic, lethargic, phlegmatic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for stolid

Contemporary Examples

The New York Times began its review with the words “stolid and humorless.”
‘From Up on Poppy Hill’: Goro Miyazaki, the Next Generation of Studio Ghibli
Melissa Leon
March 15, 2013
And when he did, he was not positioned in front of a stolid stage set.
Election Night 2012: Fashion of Jubilation And Mourning
Robin Givhan
November 7, 2012
Taylor was perfectly formed for the intuitive, opportunistic life of a rebel, but not for the stolid bureaucracy of government.
Liberian Nostalgia for War Criminal Charles Taylor
Finlay Young
April 28, 2012
Stolid and somber, these are films made to be admired, not loved.
Robert Redford's Pretty-Face Burden
Richard Rushfield
April 17, 2011
She is stolid and reliable, sartorially and in seemingly every other way, and that forms the essence of her appeal.
Kate Middleton's Classic Style
Rebecca Dana
November 16, 2010

Historical Examples

A box of candy against a good cigar, they are a stolid married couple.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
But if stolid, Timmins had his fair share of a certain slow pugnacity.
Quaint Courtships
Various
How stolid they were and how matter of fact and how sensible.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
Hiram said not a word, but he sat looking at the other in stolid silence.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
Eccles faced him unwillingly, with a stolid front but shifty eyes.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance

British Dictionary definitions for stolid

stolid

adjective

showing little or no emotion or interest

Derived Formsstolidity (stɒˈlɪdɪtɪ) or stolidness, nounstolidly, adverb

Word Origin

C17: from Latin stolidus dull; compare Latin stultus stupid; see still 1

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

Word Origin and History for stolid

1560s (implied in stolidity), from Middle French stolide (16c.), from Latin stolidus "insensible, dull, brutish," properly "unmovable," related to stultus "foolish," from PIE root *stel- "to put, stand" (see stall (n.1)).

stolid

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}stolid

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for stolid

Contemporary Examples

The New York Times began its review with the words “stolid and humorless.”

And when he did, he was not positioned in front of a stolid stage set.

Taylor was perfectly formed for the intuitive, opportunistic life of a rebel, but not for the stolid bureaucracy of government.

Stolid and somber, these are films made to be admired, not loved.

She is stolid and reliable, sartorially and in seemingly every other way, and that forms the essence of her appeal.

Historical Examples

A box of candy against a good cigar, they are a stolid married couple.

But if stolid, Timmins had his fair share of a certain slow pugnacity.

How stolid they were and how matter of fact and how sensible.

Hiram said not a word, but he sat looking at the other in stolid silence.

Eccles faced him unwillingly, with a stolid front but shifty eyes.

stolid

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for stolid

Origin of stolid