: a facial expression usually of disgust, disapproval, or pain
a grimace of hate and rage
grimacer
noun
grimaced; grimacing
: to distort one's face in an expression usually of pain, disgust, or disapproval
Grimacing slightly, he runs his finger over the back of his heel, where a deep … fissure has opened inside a callus.—
Chris Ballard
Chris BallardMy father shifted his weight and grimaced. The sheet slid off his injured leg, the calf swollen, purple as a plum …—Bernard Cooper
Bernard CooperExamples of grimace in a Sentence
Noun
The patient made a painful grimace as the doctor examined his wound.
he made a grimace when he tasted the medicine
Verb
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025
Will, in response, contorts his entire face into a terrible grimace.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
Nearby, a large man with a wad of cash was grimacing into a digital roulette machine.
—Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
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Noun
In the painting, the skeleton is detailed with firecrackers, flowers on its ribs and a smiling grimace — a detail inspired by a cardboard skeleton Kahlo actually kept in the canopy of her own bed.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025
Will, in response, contorts his entire face into a terrible grimace.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Lakanwal did not appear to have his eyes open during the hearing, seeming to grimace in pain at various points with his covers pulled up to his chin.
—Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
Nearby, a large man with a wad of cash was grimacing into a digital roulette machine.
—Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Cite this Entry
“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grimace. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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