Stolid

adjective

Exhibiting or possessing little to no emotion; insensitive
Difficult to disturb

Usage

Stolid people sometimes get a bad rap, perhaps in large part due to the frustrations of those who attempt to confide in them. Unfortunately, a consistent absence of emotion is often associated with low intelligence, or, even worse, apathy. But a stolid temperament doesn't necessarily mean slow wits or a lack of empathy - some people are just naturally unexpressive, and many make a conscious choice to put a veneer of indifference over what it is they truly feel. And really, how can one form a true judgement about a stolid person when what one sees on their face is literally nothing?

Stolid is most commonly used to describe a lack of feeling, a sense of unresponsiveness where one might normally expect a show of emotion. Nothing seems to faze people who are stolid. No matter the mood of an occasion - happy, sad, awkward, whatever - they tend to react the same way: by pretty much not reacting at all. Good luck trying to read a stolid person's face - if it's some form of sensitivity you're looking for, you might as well be examining one of the Moai of Easter Island.

Interestingly, the image of a stolid person being as unresponsive as a giant stone head provides some context for a secondary meaning of the word. Sometimes, stolid refers to something as being generally immovable or difficult to disrupt. A person who's this kind of stolid might really be someone you can count on, as there's not much that can make them waver in their stances or change their course. Every inquisitive little kid should know a stolid adult who's not likely to become annoyed by constant questions.

Example: The stolid policewoman didn't so much as raise an eyebrow at my melodramatic excuse for speeding.

Example: Although fat flakes of snow had begun to fall on him, the man meditating on the hill remained stolid.

Origin

Stolid comes to English from the Latin stolidus. Just like stolid, this word has multiple implications; although stolidus technically means "stationary" or "anchored," the word was also commonly used as a descriptor for people who were boorish, insensitive, or just generally dim-witted. Stolid has also been associated with a similar word in Middle French, stolide. The word first appeared in English around the turn of the seventeenth century.

Derivative Words

Stolidity: This noun describes the characteristic of showing very little feeling.

Example: Given the passionate, even theatrical nature of the author's previous works, the stolidity of her latest book came as a surprise.

Stolidly: This adverb characterizes an action as having very little feeling or being showing little response.

Example: Although Karen vigorously implored her cat to get in its traveling crate, the animal simply stared at her stolidly.

Similar Words

Given their similar spellings and definitions, it's easy to confuse the words stolid and stoic. Luckily, even if you do, chances are your message won't lose too much of its meaning, as there's only a slight difference between the two. In common usage, stoic is somewhat more restrictive than stolid. Stoic people express no opinion or emotion: the word specifically indicates a condition of indifference. Stolidity can be a result of indifference, too, but it can also indicate things like insensitivity - as in, the inability to perceive what's going on, rather than just not caring about it - and imperturbability, where one might be strongly affected by events but refuse to let one's emotions effect their ability to keep a clear head.

In Literature

From Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage:

He discovered that the distances, as compared with the brilliant measurings of his mind, were trivial and ridiculous. The stolid trees, where much had taken place, seemed incredibly near….He wondered at the number of emotions and events that had been crowded into such little spaces.

Here, stolid is used to contrast the impassive, immutable appearance of the surroundings with the charged, thrilling battle that had occurred there.

Mnemonic

Stolid is solid as a rock
Stolid keeps a lid on their emotions