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impassiveness

impassiveness

7.9
A lack of visible emotion
  • noun
  • /ɪmˈpæsɪvnəs/
translation icon : impasibilidad
  • He looked at the TV, which seemed to stare back at him with the impassiveness of a blind man.

Examples

  • The impassiveness of the young priest's expression assured the Nuncio that he was merely speaking clinically, with his usual harrowing exactitude.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • During the presentation, her impassiveness made it difficult to gauge her true feelings about the project.

  • Despite the shocking news, his impassiveness left everyone around him wondering how he felt.

  • The detective's impassiveness during the interrogation suggested he was keeping his emotions in check.

Synonyms

numbness
vsimpassiveness
5 4.6

A lack of feeling or interest in things often after long stress

is outward lack of emotional response rather than inner loss of feeling
dispassion
vsimpassiveness
  • Formal
1 7.3

A calm state of not feeling strong emotions and judging fairly

is simple lack of emotional response without the impartiality emphasis
impassivity
vsimpassiveness
1 8.8

A lack of emotion or visible reaction

is framed as lack of outward emotion rather than reaction
dryness
vsimpassiveness
1 5.8

A way of speaking and behaving that shows little warmth or feeling

is general lack of emotional response not limited to manner or speech
impersonality
vsimpassiveness
1 7.6

A lack of personal warmth or feeling when people speak and act

is focused on absence of emotional response rather than deliberate objectivity
emotionlessness
vsimpassiveness
1 8.5

A lack of visible feeling or reaction

is about not showing emotion in outward behavior rather than inner feeling
blandness
vsimpassiveness
1 4.4

A calm lack of emotion when people expect a strong reaction

is general lack of emotion not tied to situations requiring a response
unresponsiveness
vsimpassiveness
1 7.3

Not reacting to people or events, often without emotion

is about not showing emotion rather than reaction speed or delay
impassibility
vsimpassiveness
9.5

Not showing feeling or reaction to events

is about lack of emotional response in general not only calmness
unemotionality
vsimpassiveness
8.3

A state of showing little or no feeling

is stronger indicating no emotion rather than small amounts
stolidity
vsimpassiveness
9.9

A lack of strong feeling or emotion when something happens

is stricter meaning no emotional display rather than small amounts
expressionlessness
vsimpassiveness
7.4

No feeling shown on a person's face, voice, or actions

is broader covering all lack of response not only visible signs
inexpressiveness
vsimpassiveness
7.8

Not showing feelings or emotion

is about lack of emotional response rather than failing to convey meaning
vacantness
vsimpassiveness
6.6

A blank look that shows no clear thought or feeling

is about lack of emotional response rather than empty mind or absent awareness

Antonyms

100 3.9

Being able to notice and respond to your own and other people's feelings

2 6.7

The state of having or showing strong feelings

How Emotional

emotionality
2 6.7
warmth
103 1.0
calmness
9 2.7
impassiveness
7.9
detachment
21 6.1

Surface Forms

impassiveness singular

Morphology

impassiveness = impassive (transparent) = im + passive + ness

The noun form 'impassiveness' is transparently derived from the adjective 'impassive' by adding the suffix '-ness'.

Etymology

Impassiveness comes from the parts in- ('not') and the same root as passion, which once meant 'suffering' and now means a strong feeling. So, impassiveness is like 'not feeling', which is why it means a lack of emotional response.