stiff upper lip

noun

: a steady and determined attitude or manner in the face of trouble
stiff-upper-lip
ˈstif-ˈə-pər-ˈlip How to pronounce stiff upper lip (audio)
adjective

Examples of stiff upper lip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Geno Carr is also a standout as the Haversham butler Perkins, who manages to keep a stiff upper lip no matter what mayhem occurs around him. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 There are seven characters in the play but at least seven different romantic couplings, most of them conducted with proper British attitudes and stiff upper lips. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026 Caroline, as an ambassador of her family’s dynasty, has to offer condolences while keeping a stiff upper lip, only able to work through the latest of many tragedies in her life internally. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026 In the Margaret Thatcher biopic, Streep sports a stiff upper lip and no patience for snobby misogyny as England's first female prime minister. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stiff upper lip

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase keep a stiff upper lip

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stiff upper lip was in 1815

Rhymes for stiff upper lip

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Browse Nearby Words

stifftail
stiff upper lip
stifle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stiff upper lip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stiff%20upper%20lip. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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