smilelessadj.
/ˈsmʌɪlləs/, U.S. /ˈsmaɪ(l)ləs/ 1.
a. Of persons, the features, expression, etc.: Exhibiting no smile; never smiling; grave, severe.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > melancholy > seriousness or solemnity > [adjective]
seinec1330
sober1362
unfeastlyc1386
murec1390
unlaughter-milda1400
sadc1400
solemnyc1420
solemned1423
serious1440
solemnc1449
solenc1460
solemnel?1473
moy1487
demure1523
grave1549
staid1557
sage1564
sullen1583
weighty1602
solid1632
censoriousa1637
(as) grave (also solemn, etc.) as a judge1650
untriumphant1659
setc1660
agelastic1666
austere1667
humourless1671
unlaughing1737
smileless1740
untriflinga1743
untittering1749
steady1759
dun1797
antithalian1818
dreich1819
laughterless1825
unsmiling1826
laughless1827
unfestive1844
sober-sided1847
gleeless1850
unfarcical1850
mome1855
deedy1895
button-down1959
buttoned-down1960
straight-faced1975
1740 E. Wardlaw Hardyknute (new ed.) xvii. 20 With smileless Look, and Visage wan, The wounded Knight reply'd.
1837 W. Wordsworth Night Thought 11 Ingrates who wear a smileless face The whole year through.
1838 E. Bulwer-Lytton Alice III. xi. i. 245 Pale, wan,..smileless, she was the ghost of her former self.
1882 C. D. Warner Washington Irving x. 295 The smileless prig has begun to weary even the popular fancy.
1892 G. Hake Mem. 80 Years xxxv. 115 That free, smileless expression.
b. Of words, etc.: Uttered without a smile.
ΚΠ
1810 S. Green Reformist I. 208 She either replied not at all, or only answered her by a smileless monosyllable.
1877 Daily News 30 Nov. It is a fearfully impressive thing to listen to his smileless, unaltering harangues.
2. Devoid of brightness or cheerfulness; dark, dull, cheerless.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [adjective] > gloomy or depressing
darkOE
unmerryOE
deathlyc1225
dolefulc1275
elengec1275
dreicha1300
coolc1350
cloudyc1374
sada1375
colda1400
deadlya1400
joylessc1400
unjoyful?c1400
disconsolatea1413
mournfula1425
funeralc1425
uncheerfulc1449
dolent1489
dolesome1533
heavy-hearted1555
glum1558
ungladsome1558
black1562
pleasureless1567
dern1570
plaintive?1570
glummish1573
cheerless1575
comfortless1576
wintry1579
glummy1580
funebral1581
discouraging1584
dernful?1591
murk1596
recomfortless1596
sullen1597
amating1600
lugubrious1601
dusky1602
sable1603
funebrial1604
damping1607
mortifying1611
tearful?1611
uncouth1611
dulsome1613
luctual1613
dismal1617
winterous1617
unked1620
mopish1621
godforsaken?1623
uncheerly1627
funebrious1630
lugubrous1632
drearisome1633
unheartsome1637
feral1641
drear1645
darksome1649
sadding1649
saddening1650
disheartening1654
funebrous1654
luctiferous1656
mestifical1656
tristifical1656
sooty1657
dreary1667
tenebrose1677
clouded1682
tragicala1700
funereal1707
gloomy1710
sepulchrala1711
dumpishc1717
bleaka1719
depressive1727
lugubre1727
muzzy1728
dispiriting1733
uncheery1760
unconsolatory1760
unjolly1764
Decemberly1765
sombre1768
uncouthie1768
depressing1772
unmirthful1782
sombrous1789
disanimating1791
Decemberish1793
grey1794
uncheering1796
ungenial1796
uncomforting1798
disencouraginga1806
stern1812
chilling1815
uncheered1817
dejecting1818
mopey1821
desponding1828
wisht1829
leadening1835
unsportful1837
demoralizing1840
Novemberish1840
frigid1844
morne1844
tragic1848
wet-blanketty1848
morgue1850
ungladdeneda1851
adusk1856
smileless1858
soul-sick1858
Novemberya1864
saturnine1863
down1873
lacklustre1883
Heaven-abandoneda1907
downbeat1952
doomy1967
1858 E. Bulwer-Lytton What will he do with It? vi. ix And so the old man, whose life had been so smileless, died smiling.
1858 O. W. Holmes Autocrat of Breakfast-table iv. 104 That smileless eternity to which they look forward.
1876 Bulwer-Lytton's Pausanias (ed. 2) i. ii. 46 The very moonlight upon these waters, cold and smileless.
Derivatives
ˈsmilelessly adv.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > melancholy > seriousness or solemnity > [adverb]
highlyOE
deeplyc1300
solemnlya1325
sadlya1375
soberly1382
demurelyc1400
sadc1400
seriouslyc1425
solemnya1470
murely1474
solemnedlyc1480
solenny1480
in (good, sober, serious) sadness1545
gravely1553
staidly1571
solemniouslya1578
solidly1632
in sad earnest1637
ponderously1637
in jest-earnest1642
in all seriousness1679
joking apart1745
unhumorously1768
solidly1799
in sober earnest1836
mirthlessly1853
votively1857
smilelessly1869
unmirthfully1872
unsmilingly1879
inhumorously1898
soberingly1923
straightfacedly1977
1869 T. B. Aldrich Story Bad Boy 68 At seven o'clock my grandfather comes smilelessly down stairs.
ˈsmilelessness n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > melancholy > seriousness or solemnity > [noun]
earnestOE
sadnessc1350
serious1440
seriouste1440
demurity1483
seriosity?a1505
gravity1509
demureness?1518
seriousness1530
solemness1530
sobriety1548
staidness1561
graveness1577
gravidad1641
earnestness1670
substantialness1683
solemnity1712
smilelessness1844
unsmilingness1873
humourlessness1890
straightfacedness1982
1844 J. T. J. Hewlett Parsons & Widows II. xxvi. 131 Not only smileless herself, but the cause of smilelessness in others.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1740