straight face

American  

noun

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

---

straight face British  

noun

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

---

straight face Idioms  

1. see keep a straight face.

---

Other Word Forms

• straight-faced
  adjective
• straight-facedly
  adverb

---

Etymology

Origin of straight face

First recorded in 1890–95

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

straight face

“No one can tell you with a straight face where interest rates are going,” Jim Lebenthal, who was a market strategist specializing in municipal bonds, wrote in 2009 in his now-classic “Lebenthal on Munis.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

"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

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 U.S. team has been riding a magic carpet, to the point people have been talking with a straight face about going all…the…way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

But I kept a straight face in front of Jaden.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---