stoic

adjective

ˈstō-ik How to pronounce stoic (audio)
variants or stoical
Definition of stoicnext
1
as in patient
accepting pains or hardships calmly or without complaint after waiting six years for permission to immigrate to the U.S., the family is stoic about a six-month postponement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in calm
not feeling or showing emotion at her husband's funeral she remained stoic, and only a few imagined the depth of her grief

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word stoic distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stoic are apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, and stolid. While all these words mean "unresponsive to something that might normally excite interest or emotion," stoic implies an apparent indifference to pleasure or especially to pain often as a matter of principle or self-discipline.

was resolutely stoic even in adversity

When is it sensible to use apathetic instead of stoic?

The synonyms apathetic and stoic are sometimes interchangeable, but apathetic may imply a puzzling or deplorable indifference or inertness.

charitable appeals met an apathetic response

When could impassive be used to replace stoic?

The words impassive and stoic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impassive stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression.

met the news with an impassive look

When can phlegmatic be used instead of stoic?

While in some cases nearly identical to stoic, phlegmatic implies a temperament or constitution hard to arouse.

a phlegmatic man unmoved by tears

When would stolid be a good substitute for stoic?

While the synonyms stolid and stoic are close in meaning, stolid implies a habitual absence of interest, responsiveness, or curiosity.

stolid workers wedded to routine

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stoic Like some of the music, the album artwork also pays homage to the animal world and our interconnectedness—the abstract piece offers a single line drawing that weaves in outlines of a panting dog, screeching cat, stoic bunny, and wise owl. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026 This was about a hundred uniformed men and a few uniformed women, trained to be stoic warriors. — Mabel Yiu, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Lizzie and Bridget’s Relationship in Monster The show quickly portrays a dynamic between Lizzie and Bridget, with Bridget’s brash, uninhibited manner drawing out the more reserved and stoic Lizzie. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 Much in the way Campbell has never made a stank face during a guitar solo, the ever-stoic Stapleton hides behind a big beard and searching eyes, and lets his big voice do the heavy lifting. — Adam Gold, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stoic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stoic
  1. patient
  2. calm
  3. passive
  4. stolid
  5. obedient
  6. impassive
  7. uncomplaining
  8. phlegmatic
Adjective
  • Star Ratings overhaul and new marketing rules CMS is executing a structural overhaul of its Star Ratings program for 2027, removing 11 administrative metrics to focus on clinical quality, health outcomes, and patient experience.
    — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Two of Kariem’s former students described him as joyful, patient and an inspiration.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of patient
Adjective
  • Clear skies and calm winds will help temperatures drop into the mid- to upper 30s by early Saturday, forecasters said.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Methanol masers have previously been detected in planet-forming disks around turbulent high-mass protostars, but COMPASS’ observations are the first detection of them around calmer lower-mass protostars.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of calm
Adjective
  • The tabletop version packs two full-range drivers into the display housing, paired with a down-firing woofer and two force-cancelling passive radiators in its domed base.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The goal is not passive expansion but enduring cultural effect through authentic relationships.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of passive
Adjective
  • The trombonist Cutler is played by Terence Archie as stolid, unassuming and quietly in control.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Leigh—intellectual, magnetic, and capricious—went to finishing school before marrying a stolid, stable lawyer named Herbert Leigh Holman in 1932.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of stolid
Adjective
  • The Attorney General, Todd Blanche, is an obedient Tom Hagen.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Reflecting on her obedient past as a child actor, Panettiere told THR that that pressure ultimately took a toll on her.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of obedient
Adjective
  • Then, after walking for a couple of blocks, directing withering sneers at the policeman’s reddish face, which was as impassive as that of a stone idol, Gleb cooled down and succumbed to boredom.
    — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
  • There are melancholic elements, including human characters that can seem lost in their thoughts — impassive and detached from the world.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of impassive
Adjective
  • The story of children financially supporting their immigrant parents can feed into the myth of the Asian American model minority, which, in part, stereotypes Asian Americans as obedient, hard-working and uncomplaining.
    — Mike Dang, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2023
  • At 65, the uncomplaining, modestly dressed Hornclaw appears to be a model senior citizen.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2022
Definition of uncomplaining
Adjective
  • The thickset Armand Assante was a phlegmatic Odysseus, but Greta Scacchi, as Penelope—who has so little to say in the poem—became the physical embodiment of anger, and Isabella Rossellini was a teasing Athena.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • Shinichi Atobe’s arresting house and techno beams with inimitable candor, built from bright, phlegmatic loops that run on an eccentric internal logic.
    — Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of phlegmatic

Browse Nearby Words

stodgy
stoic
stoically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stoic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stoic. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All