humourless

IPA/ˈhjuːmələs/
IPA/ˈhjuːmərləs/

humourless — adjective

  • humourlesspositive
  • more humourlesscomparative
  • most humourlesssuperlative

1. describes a person, comment, or situation that shows no sense of fun or amusemen

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a person, comment, or situation that shows no sense of fun or amusement — for example, someone who never laughs at jokes or a discussion that takes itself too seriously.

Example

Priya's humourless manager never laughed at anyone's jokes during team meetings.

collocation: humourless manager / humourless tone

The film review was humourless and took every joke far too seriously.

Common collocations
  • humourless person
  • humourless tone
  • humourless atmosphere
  • humourless expression
  • humourless face
Synonyms
  • serious

    neutral; does not imply criticism, whereas 'humourless' is almost always negative

  • solemn

    more formal; suggests dignified seriousness rather than an unfriendly lack of humour

  • dour

    stronger negative tone; implies a stern, unfriendly manner

  • grim

    suggests a forbidding or gloomy seriousness, often about a specific situation rather than a personality trait

Antonyms
  • humorous

    direct opposite; describes someone who enjoys or makes jokes

  • witty

    focuses on the ability to make clever, funny remarks

  • amusing

    describes something that causes laughter, not necessarily a personality trait

Grammar Patterns

humourless + noun

be + humourless

find + noun + humourless

Usage Note

Almost always carries a mildly negative judgement, implying that the person is overly serious in a way that makes social interactions uncomfortable. Stronger in tone than 'serious' or 'reserved'.

Common Mistakes

The doctor had a humourless expression when giving the diagnosis.
The doctor had a serious expression when giving the diagnosis.
'humourless' criticises someone's inability to appreciate fun; it does not describe appropriate gravity in a serious situation.

Word family

  • humour
    nounB1
  • humorous
    adjectiveB2
  • humourlessly
    adverbC1
  • humourlessness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe an absence of humour or lightness, but they differ in tone and context. 'Humourless' is almost always critical — it implies a person lacks joy or cannot appreciate fun. 'Serious' is neutral and much broader, covering everything from a thoughtful expression to a grave situation. 'Solemn' suits formal or ceremonial contexts, carrying dignity rather than fault. 'Dour' suggests a stubborn, unfriendly harshness, often linked to disapproval. 'Grim' can refer to a specific mood or outlook ('a grim expression') rather than a fixed personality. A humourless colleague might refuse to join a game, while a solemn colleague would simply stay quiet during a moment of respect.

humourless ↗serious ↗solemn ↗dour ↗grim ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a humourless individual
  • a humourless response
  • a humourless approach

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed from 'humour' (the quality of being amusing or the ability to perceive it) plus the Old English suffix '-less', meaning 'without'. 'Humour' itself traces back through Old French to Latin 'umor' (moisture, liquid) — in medieval medicine, bodily fluids (humours) were believed to affect personality, so the word shifted from 'fluid' to 'mood' to 'ability to find things funny'. 'Humourless' has been in use since the early 19th century.