straight face

noun

: a face giving no evidence of emotion and especially of merriment
lied with a straight face
straight-faced adjective
straight-facedly adverb

Examples of straight face in a Sentence

She lied with a straight face. The students quickly put on straight faces as the teacher walked into the room.
Recent Examples on the Web Sporting a straight face to the camera, Roan also wore a gold chain necklace and a brown beaded bracelet in the snap. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Think of him on Hot 97 with a straight face, occasionally a prankish smirk, pushing a theory that Ray J is a pivotal influence on all of Black culture. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 16 Feb. 2024 Looking at the camera with a straight face, Kardashian Barker held onto her baby boy as her hair fell to the back of her shoulders, covering one eye. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024 Looking at the camera with a straight face, Kardashian held onto her baby boy as her hair fell to the back of her shoulders, covering one eye. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024 All of these flourishes are done with an admirable straight face. Brian Feldman, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2024 During the event, the singer was seen sipping her drink with a straight face after host Jo Koy made a joke made about her and boyfriend Travis Kelce. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 10 Jan. 2024 In the clip, Swift gave a straight face, pursed her lips, and took a sip from her glass of wine. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024 Cooper started cracking up as Mayer introduced a few of feline friends from the establishment — called Cats in the Box and located in Tokyo’s Shinjuku center — with a totally straight face. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'straight face.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of straight face was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near straight face

Cite this Entry

“Straight face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straight%20face. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

straight face

noun
: a face giving no evidence of feeling and especially of amusement
straight-faced
ˈstrāt-ˈfāst
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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