stony

Examples

• All

• For his part, Mr. Bailey's attitude toward her was one of stony indifference.

  Fiction book (2001)

• Despite the bad news, his face remained stony, betraying no feelings whatsoever.

• "I should have been with him," she told Tom, her voice stony and cold.

  Fiction book (1992)

• The white academic audience sat in stony silence during the entire exchange.

  Academic text (1999)

• Dr. Hulme is standing at the door, watching her go... a stony expression on his face.

  Fiction book (1994)

• 'The usherette looked at us with stony contempt.

  Brief Encounter (1945)

• The smile on Ryan's face disappeared, to be replaced by a stony frown.

  Fiction book (1997)

• Mr. Balzano was silent, stony as judgment, even his eyes motionless on his face.

  Fiction book (1991)

• The class stared at Reuben in stony silence, most with their mouths open.

  Fiction book (1999)

• When Quint died, little Miles was said to have been "stony cold"—not a tear shed.

  Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

C

cold

vsstony

883 4.4

Unfriendly and distant in feeling or action

is also distant but more about hardness and lack of sympathy

C

cold-blooded

vsstony

• Offensive

54 6.1

Showing no pity and acting cruel on purpose

is unfeeling but not necessarily deliberately cruel

A

aloof

vsstony

34 6.3

Not friendly and distant, not joining in with other people

is distant too but is defined more by emotional hardness

I

icy

vsstony

22 3.3

Cold and unfriendly in tone or manner

is similar but often stresses rigid hardness over chilliness

C

chilly

vsstony

16 3.5

Not friendly or warm toward other people

is similar but tends to suggest firmer emotional hardness

D

dour

vsstony

12 7.6

Serious and unfriendly in a way that looks gloomy

is unfeeling as well but focuses on hardness rather than gloom

E

expressionless

vsstony

11 4.4

Having a face or way of acting that shows no feeling

is like that but more about being emotionally hard than blank

I

impassive

vsstony

11 7.1

Not showing any feeling on the face or in the voice

is also unfeeling but emphasizes hardness rather than neutrality

U

unemotional

vsstony

11 4.4

Not showing strong feelings

is calm as well but often feels colder and harder

B

brittle

vsstony

10 7.4

Cold and unfriendly in the way someone behaves

is unfeeling but less about fragility and more about hardness

G

glacial

vsstony

4 7.5

Very cold and unfriendly in the way someone behaves or looks

is unfeeling too but may be less disdainful and more hard

C

coldhearted

vsstony

4 6.0

Showing no care or sympathy for other people

is similar but may focus more on hardness than cruelty

C

cold as ice

vsstony

• Informal

4 7.2

Not showing any feeling or kindness to others

is the same lack of feeling but often less idiomatic

U

unsmiling

vsstony

3 4.0

Having a serious face that looks unfriendly

is similar but stresses lack of sympathy rather than lack of smile

F

flinty

vsstony

2 8.1

Not showing feelings or care and seeming cold and unkind

is unfeeling but usually less intensely harsh

M

made of stone

vsstony

• Informal

2 8.1

Not showing any feeling or care

is similar but usually describes hardness rather than total numbness

I

inexpressive

vsstony

1 5.5

Having little feeling in the face or voice

is unexpressive as well but implies coldness rather than blankness

H

hardhearted

vsstony

1 7.2

Not feeling or showing pity for other people

is emotionally hard but may not show active mercilessness

C

cold-eyed

vsstony

1 7.6

Not showing strong feeling when judging something

is unfeeling too but usually reads as emotionally harder and colder

S

stone-cold

vsstony

1 4.1

Very cold with no warmth left

shares coldness but often describes emotional hardness rather than numbness

S

stonyhearted

vsstony

9.6

Not feeling sorry for other people

is likewise unfeeling but not necessarily harshly unsparing

G

granitic

vsstony

7.8

Very firm and unwilling to change in attitude or mind

is similarly hard but usually focuses on emotional lack rather than toughness

F

frozen

vsstony

5.1

Not warm or friendly in manner

is equally unfeeling but often implies tougher hardness

C

cold as a witch's kiss

vsstony

• Literature

9.9

Showing no warmth or feeling

is similarly unapproachable but stresses hardness over extreme imagery

Antonyms

E

emotional

535 2.1

Showing strong feelings that are easy to see

S

sympathetic

152 3.4

Feeling or showing kindness and understanding to someone who is upset

C

compassionate

151 3.7

Feeling concern and care for people who suffer

Compounds

S

stony coral

• Specialized

1 6.0

A sea animal that makes a hard skeleton and builds reefs

S

stony-broke

• Informal

1 9.3

With no money at all

How Emotionless

heartless

• Offensive

79 4.1

stony

7 6.5

callous

41 7.3

aloof

34 6.3

reserved

3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology