visage

noun

vis·​age ˈvi-zij How to pronounce visage (audio)
1
: the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal
2
: aspect, appearance
the grimy visage of a mining town

Did you know?

The word face may be a pretty generic word, but it has several high-flown synonyms. Physiognomy, for instance, refers to facial features thought to reveal qualities of temperament or character. "I thought I could detect in his physiognomy a mind owning better qualities than his father ever possessed," Emily Brontë writes in Wuthering Heights. Countenance is often used to refer to the face as an indication of mood or emotion, as Bram Stoker types in Dracula: "Mina struggled hard to keep her brave countenance." Visage can refer to the face of a person or an animal, and it can also refer to the appearance of nonliving things, as in "the dirty visage of the old abandoned factory."

Examples of visage in a Sentence

an old man with a noticeably happy visage visitors to the mountain range had long noted that the natural rock formation bore a striking resemblance to the visage of a man
Recent Examples on the Web Yet his career, running roughly from the 1930s to the early 2000’s, also included advertising work for clients ranging from General Foods to Clinique, American laborers at work, abstract nudes, American street life and eclectic visages of everything from wilting flowers to garbage and street signs. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Her husband, muralist Diego Rivera, incorporated her visage into some of his most famous murals. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 The album was named after his mother, whose young visage appears front and center in the artwork. Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024 The goal: a visage that glistened and gleamed, particularly in the glow of a ring light. Fiorella Valdesolo, WSJ, 12 Jan. 2024 Featuring a maxi dress silhouette and sheer lace visage, this dress is a great option for someone who wants to slip into something a little more sophisticated without sacrificing too much of their paycheck. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024 The other major hurdle to broader adoption is the general social awkwardness of wearing a big black screen over your visage, especially when other people are around. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024 In a world where the face is the final frontier of privacy, glancing upon the unaltered visage of another will be a rare intimacy. Joy Buolamwini, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2024 These objects were not created to depict the wearer’s own face, but an idealized, youthful visage, which facilitated the deceased’s journey into the Egyptian afterlife. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'visage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from vis face, from Latin visus sight, from vidēre to see — more at wit

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of visage was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near visage

Cite this Entry

“Visage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visage. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

visage

noun
vis·​age ˈviz-ij How to pronounce visage (audio)
1
: the face
also : an expression of the face
2
: the outward appearance of a person, animal, or thing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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