stolid
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stolid
First recorded in 1595–1605; from the Latin stolidus “inert, dull, stupid”
Explanation
A stolid person can’t be moved to smile or show much sign of life, in much the same way as something solid, like a giant boulder, is immovable. Both are expressionless. It's hard to get excited about the word stolid. It refers to emotionless people or things, and it even sounds pretty dull. Your face may be stolid, as you plod through the unemotional history of the word born in the 17th century of little more than Latin words for "foolish." In some definitions, stolid does have more complimentary synonyms, such as "dependable" or "calm," but these can be overshadowed by other words for stolid — "empty," "blank," and "vacant," to name a few.
Vocabulary lists containing stolid
Fahrenheit 451
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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.
Jack Morgan’s reputation for stolid rectitude was permanently undermined — “Until last Tuesday,” wrote a New York Times columnist, “Mr. Morgan was a legend.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
Mr. Pierre is solid, stolid superhero material; Mr. Chandler is pure mischief.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Her painting is a stolid assemblage of horizontal bands, stacked confidently on top of one another, the weight of the structure seeming to make those on top begin to dissolve into those below.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Although many disliked the building’s brooding, stolid architecture, the Breuer came to be considered the ideal space in which to show 20th and 21st century art and sculpture.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
The little cluster of figures around the door moved back a step or two, as if out of respect, and they saw the man’s face: stolid, harmless, and mild.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
