stone face
/stoʊn feɪs/
CommonA completely expressionless face, hard and unmoving, that refuses to give any emotional signal.
Slightly more intense than poker face. Implies the blankness feels like a wall, not just composure. Often used to describe someone who seems impossible to affect or read.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | They read the verdict and she sat there stone-faced. Nothing. Not even a blink. | She showed absolutely no visible reaction to a high-stakes outcome. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | He kept a full stone face through the entire interrogation. Gave them nothing. | The person refused to show any emotional response that could be used against them. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 03 | Her stone face when he walked in said everything without saying a word. | The total absence of a reaction was itself a statement, communicating coldness or contempt. | reddit, 2024 |
| 04 | I tried to argue and he just sat there with a stone face. Didn't engage at all. | The person's blankness was a refusal to participate in the conflict rather than a sign of calm. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Someone shows no reaction to something that would visibly affect most people.
- Describing a face that is so blank it feels like a deliberate refusal to engage.
- Commenting on someone's cold, hard composure under pressure.
Do not use it when
- You mean a mild neutral expression.Use “poker face” instead.
- You mean someone is calm and unworried.
Variations and related forms
Stone face vs poker face
stone face
Stone face is harder and more absolute. Feels like a wall or refusal, not just strategy.
VS
poker-face
Poker face is about strategic concealment. The goal is to be unreadable to gain an advantage.
Origin and context
Derived from the image of stone as hard and unmovable. The phrase has been in English use for decades to describe expressionless faces. Picked up steam online in commentary on public figures and social videos.
- First seen
- pre-2000s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/stone-faceUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0