Agelast

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæd͡ʒəˌlæst/

Definitions

1. A person devoid of humor and incapable of laughter can be described as having an unwaveringly serious disposition
2. Someone who consistently remains unamused and refuses to laugh signifies a remarkable detachment from joy and playfulness
3. An individual who displays a complete lack of humor and is unable to experience laughter embodies a serious and joyless character

Etymology: The Greek adjective "agelastos" was built from the negative prefix "a-" and "gelan," meaning "to laugh," so it literally described something that does not laugh. Ancient writers used it for people who never smiled, and it was a word for the grim and solemn rather than for anyone merely quiet. English took the word from French, where it was attributed to the sixteenth-century satirist François Rabelais, who is credited with coining it in the French form "agelaste" for a person who never laughs. Rabelais was a satirist who delighted in mocking solemn pedants, so a single word for a joyless man suited his taste perfectly. The noun is a learned borrowing, which explains why it sounds so formal. It stayed a rare literary term, mostly reserved for writers who wanted a precise, slightly comic label for a scowling, humorless figure.