blackface
noun
black·face
ˈblak-ˌfās 
often attributive
1
: dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a Black person and especially to mock or ridicule Black people
specifically, historical
: such makeup worn by white entertainers (as in minstrel shows) performing racist caricatures of Black people
Note: The wearing of blackface by white performers was, from the early 19th through the mid-20th centuries, a prominent feature of minstrel shows (see minstrel sense 3a) and similar forms of entertainment featuring exaggerated and inaccurate caricatures of Black people. The use of blackface is considered deeply offensive.
compare brownface, yellowface2
Examples of blackface in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ted Danson is apologizing for roasting onetime paramour Whoopi Goldberg while wearing blackface.
—
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Years later, during the Black Lives Matter movement, the clips of him in blackface surfaced once again.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Le Batard was also among the only commentators to defend Deadspin in 2023 after the outlet falsely accused a nine-year-old boy of wearing blackface at a Kansas City Chiefs game, an accusation that ultimately led to a lawsuit against the publication.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Performers were often white people who donned blackface to mock Black people through song, dance and slapstick comedy.
—A.d. Carson, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for blackface
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Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Years later, during the Black Lives Matter movement, the clips of him in blackface surfaced once again.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Le Batard was also among the only commentators to defend Deadspin in 2023 after the outlet falsely accused a nine-year-old boy of wearing blackface at a Kansas City Chiefs game, an accusation that ultimately led to a lawsuit against the publication.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Performers were often white people who donned blackface to mock Black people through song, dance and slapstick comedy.
—A.d. Carson, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for blackface
Cite this Entry
“Blackface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackface. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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