Definitions

stony

[stoh-nee] / ˈstoʊ ni /

ADJECTIVE

hard, icy in appearance, response

Synonyms

STRONGEST

expressionless frigid

WEAK

adamant blank callous chilly cold cold-blooded coldhearted cruel firm hard-boiled hardened heartless hostile indifferent inexorable inflexible merciless obdurate pitiless rough tough uncompassionate unfeeling unforgiving unrelenting unresponsive unsympathetic

Antonyms

WEAK

friendly smiling soft warm

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The colors offer precious flashes of charm in this novel’s harsh, stony setting.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

They sit in stony silence because they are watching their life’s work being systematically dismantled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Yapp was flung into the air by her players while Mitchell's stony post-match delivery didn't match his upbeat words.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

In the years since they were dug, their surface has sunk into the dry, stony earth.

From BBC • May 7, 2025

For a cold instant he shrank from urging Melynlas up the stony slope.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

Vocabulary lists containing stony

The Crucible

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The Secret Garden

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"Lift Every Voice and Sing" by James Weldon Johnson

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