impassive
/ɪmˈpæsɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpæsɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)im-ˈpa-siv/ (ame, mw)
impassive — adjective
- impassivepositive
- more impassivecomparative
- most impassivesuperlative
1. Keeping a still, blank look on the face or in the voice, so that other people ca
Keeping a still, blank look on the face or in the voice, so that other people cannot tell what you are feeling — for example, a judge listening to a witness, or a player hearing bad news.
Beatriz kept her face impassive as the lawyer read out the verdict.
kept + [body part] + impassive — common pattern with 'face'
The young goalkeeper stayed impassive even after letting in three goals.
stay/remain impassive — pattern for holding emotion back over time
Ari watched the test results in silence, his face completely impassive.
An impassive guard stood at the gate, ignoring every question from the crowd.
Meera spoke about the accident in an impassive voice, as if it had happened to a stranger.
- expressionless
plainer everyday word; same idea but less formal
- stony
stronger; suggests a cold, hard look, often deliberate
- deadpan
informal; often used of humour delivered with a blank face
- inscrutable
formal; emphasises that the feeling cannot be read at all
- expressive
showing feelings openly on the face or in the voice
- animated
lively, with strong visible emotion
用法筆記
Typically modifies 'face', 'expression', 'voice', or the person themselves. Often used of someone who is deliberately hiding feelings rather than someone who has none — so the word implies control, not coldness.