staidness

noun

Definition of staidnessnext
as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling the staidness of the Quaker meeting was surprising to those accustomed to more exuberant services

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for staidness
  1. gravity
  2. earnestness
Noun
  • Waugh was a magnificent writer, and his prose has a rare gravity and balance.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There is no wind on the moon but, with less gravity, debris can travel far after an explosion.
    — Selam Gebrekidan, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of gravity
Noun
  • Elizabeth Strout illustrates a kind man with an endearing earnestness about him who struggles with the fact that the world is not so simple anymore.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The diaries—particularly in Julian Sachs’s unexpurgated version, which captures Pavese’s alternating earnestness, archness, and pungent vulgarity—pose something of a problem.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of earnestness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

staid
staidness
stain
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Cite this Entry

“Staidness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staidness. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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