stony

or ston·ey

[ stoh-nee ]

/ ˈstoʊ ni /

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See synonyms for stony on Thesaurus.com

adjective, ston·i·er, ston·i·est.

full of or abounding in stones or rock: a stony beach.

pertaining to or characteristic of stone.

resembling or suggesting stone, especially in its hardness.

unfeeling; merciless; obdurate: a stony heart.

motionless or rigid; without expression, as the eyes or a look: a hard, stony stare.

petrifying; stupefying: stony fear.

having a stone or stones, as fruit.

Slang. stone-broke.

OTHER WORDS FOR stony

1 rocky, pebbly.

4 adamant, hard, flinty, pitiless, inflexible, unbending.

See synonyms for stony on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of stony

before 1000; Middle English; Old English stānig.See stone, -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM stony

ston·i·ly, adverbston·i·ness, nounun·ston·i·ly, adverbun·ston·i·ness, noun

un·ston·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stony in a sentence

While there’s an earthy element in stony minerality, this wine seems to reach for the sun with its brightness.
This chianti will put you under the Tuscan sun and ground you with earthy flavors, too|Dave McIntyre|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
Quince, apple and pear flavors envelop the palate, followed by a stony acidity that keeps the wine focused through a long finish.
This sauvignon blanc tastes like a splurge, but doesn’t cost like one|Dave McIntyre|January 2, 2021|Washington Post
The first Hayabusa mission visited stony asteroid Itokawa and returned to Earth in 2010.
Hayabusa2’s asteroid dirt may hold clues to the early solar system|Lisa Grossman|December 7, 2020|Science News
He looked up to see Auguste staring stonily at him, his manacled hands clenched into fists.
Shaman|Robert Shea

No lips were tighter set, and no face more stonily expressionless than that of Sergeant Newton Spooner.
The Code of the Mountains|Charles Neville Buck
But his eyes followed her and seemed to stare stonily at her out of the dark corners of the room.
Greifenstein|F. Marion Crawford
He turned and walked up the stone steps again, closely followed by his servant, and poor Oliver sat staring stonily after them.
A Modern Aladdin|Howard Pyle
She waited for him to speak, and he, stiff of back and grim of face, stood stonily silent.
Once to Every Man|Larry Evans

British Dictionary definitions for stony

stony

stoney

/ (ˈstəʊnɪ) /

adjective stonier or stoniest

of or resembling stone

abounding in stone or stones

unfeeling, heartless, or obdurate

short for stony-broke

Derived forms of stony

stonily, adverbstoniness, noun

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

stony

or ston·ey

OTHER WORDS FOR stony

Origin of stony

OTHER WORDS FROM stony

Words related to stony

How to use stony in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stony

stoney

Derived forms of stony