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poker-faced

poker-faced

1 6.9
Not showing emotion to hide thoughts or feelings
  • adjective
  • /ˈpoʊkər feɪst/
  • Informal
translation icon : impasible
  • We rest awhile, me with my hands in my pockets and both of us looking poker-faced.
  • remain poker-faced
  • sat poker-faced
  • poker-faced woman

Examples

  • Carl looked at him for a split second, poker-faced.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Givens remains poker-faced.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Kenny just stands there, poker faced.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Standing in the back, we notice a number of poker-faced officials, some wearing U.S. military uniforms.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Kenny, poker-faced, takes a drag on his cigarette.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • A poker-faced, gray-haired woman said the unit was already gone.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Verrilli is poker-faced, but he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.

    Blog text (24)
  • Vera sneaks a look at Jennifer, who is poker-faced.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Flynn raised his voice, addressing his next comments to the poker-faced agents in earshot.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The detective remained poker-faced during the interrogation, revealing nothing about his thoughts.

Synonyms

tight-lipped
vspoker-faced
18 5.7

Not willing to speak or give information

is about hiding feelings through expression, not only by staying silent
expressionless
vspoker-faced
11 4.4

Having a face or way of acting that shows no feeling

is intentionally blank to prevent others seeing one's thoughts
impassive
vspoker-faced
11 7.1

Not showing any feeling on the face or in the voice

is deliberately emotionless to avoid revealing inner thoughts
emotionless
vspoker-faced
11 5.5

Not showing feelings on the face or in the voice

is a chosen absence of reaction aimed at hiding thoughts
unemotional
vspoker-faced
11 4.4

Not showing strong feelings

is about deliberate concealment of feelings rather than natural calmness
deadpan
vspoker-faced
9 7.5

A way of speaking that shows no feeling, often to be funny

is deliberate to hide feelings rather than for comic effect
unsmiling
vspoker-faced
3 4.0

Having a serious face that looks unfriendly

is deliberate emotional concealment, not only absence of smiling
inexpressive
vspoker-faced
1 5.5

Having little feeling in the face or voice

is a deliberate posture to avoid revealing inner thoughts
affectless
vspoker-faced
1 9.3

A person who shows no emotion in the face or voice

is purposely without expression specifically to conceal feelings
po-faced
vspoker-faced
  • UK
9.4

Showing a serious, unhappy expression with no sign of fun

is deliberate to hide thoughts rather than to show sternness
nonexpressive
vspoker-faced
7.0

Showing no feelings on the face or in actions

is the intentional hiding of feelings rather than a general trait
unexpressive
vspoker-faced
5.5

A person or thing that shows very little feeling in the face and voice

is used when someone purposely conceals their feelings
undemonstrative
vspoker-faced
7.6

Does not show feelings openly to other people

is purposely cold-faced to prevent others reading one's thoughts
undemonstrated
vspoker-faced
7.6

Not showing feelings openly so others cannot tell how they feel

is specifically a deliberate lack of emotion to avoid revealing thought

Antonyms

535 2.1

Showing strong feelings that are easy to see

41 3.4

Showing feelings and ideas clearly in the face or voice

How Revealing

expressive
41 3.4
open
702 1.0
poker-faced
  • Informal
1 6.9

Surface Forms

poker-faced positive

Morphology

poker-faced = poker face (transparent) = poker + face + ed

The adjective is literally 'having a poker face' formed by adding -ed to the noun phrase; the meaning is directly inferable from the base.

Etymology

Poker-faced comes from the card game poker, where players keep a calm face and show no change in expression so they do not reveal their cards. So, to be poker-faced is to show 'no emotion' or to 'hide what you think'.