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Term for people who don't joke at all

English Language & Usage Asked by Larry Morries on April 6, 2021

Joker is the term that describes people who joke. Are there any terms to describe the opposite of joker?

6 Answers

A formal adjective is

humorless

Some informal nouns are

stick-in-the-mud

kill-joy

buzz-kill

I can't think of any formal nouns or informal adjectives.

Correct answer by Mitch on April 6, 2021

Some synonyms of already-suggested killjoy are grouch, spoilsport, and wet blanket. However, I'd look for synonyms of strait-laced, "Having narrow views on moral matters; prudish." (Prudish: "of excessive propriety; easily offended or shocked...") Synonyms of the latter include demure, priggish, prim, prissy, puritanical, square-toed, squeamish, straightlaced, straitlaced, tight-laced. Going for synonyms of recently-suggested deadpan gives impassive, poker-faced, unexpressive.

Edit: Prompted by Larry Morries comment on non-jokers I looked up some uses of it. It isn't a common term (fewer than 3000 Google hits) but in a half-dozen pages I looked at was consistently used specifically to contrast people who joke with people who don't. Example: 1898 J. F. Muirhead book, page 139.

Answered by James Waldby - jwpat7 on April 6, 2021

Some words that come to mind are sober, serious, and stoic.

Answered by Barbara Hayes on April 6, 2021

If you want to go the metaphorical route, there's "machine," "robot," and such like. Of course the meaning changes depending on context, but still, it's an option.

The mechanical metaphor sort of implies a general lack of emotion, though, in which case "Vulcan" might be more obvious for some people.

Another slangy sort of option would be "stiff." In my experience it doesn't imply anything other than being unnecessarily formal, tense, no fun at all, which to me means not joking around and having fun with everyone else. Still not a perfect match, though. In certain circles being a "stiff" also implies being dead. You might want to keep that in mind just in case.

Answered by kitukwfyer on April 6, 2021

How about uptight? Has someone considered this to be an apt word for people who hate jokes. I tried searching for a word after I called somebody a snob for hating jokes and landed up here.

Answered by Shahid on April 6, 2021

Agelastic

rare

Literary. Never laughing; morose, laughter-hating.

[Oxford Dictionaries]

The term used to be obsolete but has been upgraded to "rare" by the OED.

See World Wide Words for an interesting discussion on the term.

Answered by David Brady on April 6, 2021

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