po-faced
Disapprovingly straight-faced
Po-faced describes someone wearing a stiff, humorless, or disapproving expression—the look of a person who refuses to be amused or takes everything too seriously.
Chiefly British: The po-faced committee members didn't crack a smile.
The word suggests priggishness or affected solemnity rather than genuine gravity.
Strict or ship's aft
- humorlessWithout wit or levity
- solemnSerious and dignified
- unsmilingNot showing amusement
- dourSternly gloomy
severe · judgmental · sanctimonious · priggish · prudish · censorious · reproachful · moralistic
Expressionless, especially for humor
- blankWithout marks or content
- woodenMade from timber
- expressionlessShowing no feeling
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
straight-faced · inexpressive · unreadable · stony · stoic · emotionless · flat · vacant
stern
Strict or ship's aft
dour · severe · judgmental · sanctimonious · priggish · prudish · censorious · reproachful · moralistic · disapproving
deadpan
Expressionless, especially for humor
- blankWithout marks or content
- woodenMade from timber
- expressionlessShowing no feeling
inscrutable · straight-faced · inexpressive · unreadable · stony · stoic · emotionless · flat · vacant · glazed
serious
Weighty and requiring attention
earnest · somber · grim · mirthless · dull · dry · leaden · staid · joyless · glum
po-facedsmiling
Displaying warmth facially
grinning · beaming · laughing · mirthful · bright-eyed
po-facedfun-loving
Inclined toward amusement
playful · good-humored · jovial · jocular · witty