straight face
Americannoun
noun
Other Word 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.
"It was the first time, it was all pretty much new to me," he said, adding the main issue was keeping a straight face and not laughing.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
That was not something I could have said with a straight face a decade ago.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
A decade later, it’s hard to believe someone wrote that with a straight face, especially as polls show that men are more eager than women to settle down and build families.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
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
“You’re better than a chorus,” I said softly, trying to keep a straight face.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions 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.
