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Glite Dictionary
straight face

straight face

34 3.9
A face that shows no feeling, often to avoid laughing
  • noun
  • /streɪt feɪs/
translation icon : cara seria
  • None of us could keep a straight face.
  • keep a straight face

I mean, it's just how he says that with a straight face is beyond me.

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Examples

  • "You always were a man of principle," he replied with a straight face.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Remember, these are the guys who with a straight face gave you Sarah Palin.

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • I could never keep a straight face.

    Nine Miles Down (2009)

  • All I could do was to keep a straight face.

    Beat the Devil (1953)

  • Yes, whatever you do, keep a straight face.

    Mary Poppins (1964)

  • You must have had a hell of a time keeping a straight face.

    The Formula (1980)

  • Now do try to keep a straight face, Ida.

    The Thief Lord (2006)

  • How can anyone say with a straight face that he's inferior?

    Academic text (2000)

  • "That's sure the way I've always felt," Joe agreed, trying to keep a straight face.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • None of us could keep a straight face during the serious speech, even though it was inappropriate to laugh.

Synonyms

poker face
vsstraight face
  • Informal
12 4.8

A face that shows no feeling so others cannot tell what you feel

focuses on stopping laughter rather than hiding other intentions
sober look
vsstraight face
1 5.1

A serious face that shows little or no emotion

serves to hide amusement when someone tries not to laugh

Antonyms

smiling
2 1.0

Having a smile that shows happiness or friendliness

How Amused

laughter
641 1.0
smile
∞ 1.0
straight face
34 3.9

Surface Forms

straight face singular
straight faces plural

Morphology

straight + face

The meaning is partly derivable because 'face' denotes an expression and 'straight' can convey unbending/seriousness, so a learner may infer a serious or unemotional expression. However, 'straight' has multiple senses (literal/ directional, honest) and the specific nuance of suppressing amusement or keeping a neutral look is not fully predictable without exposure, so this is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Straight face comes from the image of someone keeping a straight face, with no smile or sign of feeling when they try not to laugh. So it now means 'showing no amusement or emotion'.