plural faces
1
: the front part of the head that has the eyes, nose, and mouth on it
He has a round face.
He punched me (right) in the face.
His face is familiar but I can't remember his name.
I'll never forget the look on her face.
She slapped him in the face. = She slapped his face.
He fell flat on his face.
a bearded/freckled/tanned face
a fresh/youthful face
face cream
face powder
Her face lit up [=she looked pleased and happy] when she saw him.
Her face fell [=she looked unhappy] when I told her the bad news.
I don't know how he can show his face around here. [=how he can stand being seen here]
Why the long face? [=why do you look so unhappy?]
He was wearing a silly grin/smile on his face. [=he was grinning/smiling in a silly way]
She angrily told him to wipe that smile off his face. [=to stop smiling]
Her guilt was written all over her face. [=the expression on her face showed her guilt very clearly]
The answer to the problem was staring me in the face all along. [=the answer was obvious but I did not see it]
2
: a facial expression
a happy/sad face
a friendly/smiling face
She tried to put on a brave face [=she tried to appear brave or calm] despite the pain of the injury.
It was hard to keep a straight face. [=it was hard not to laugh]
You should have seen his face when we shouted "Surprise!" [=he had a shocked, surprised, etc., look on his face]
3
: person
I didn't recognize any of the faces around the table.
There are lots of new faces around the office.
It's good to see a familiar face. [=a person that I know]
4
a
: the way something appears when it is first seen or thought about
—usually singular
On the face of it, her proposal seems ridiculous. [=when you first hear about her proposal it seems ridiculous, although it may not be ridiculous when you learn more about it]
Her proposal seems ridiculous on its face.
b
: the way something is seen or thought of by people
—usually singular
If she wins the election it will change the face of American politics.
Note: To put a brave/good/positive face on something or to put the best face on something is to talk about it or describe it in a way that makes it seem as good as possible.
5
a
: a front or outer surface of something
the face of a cliff = a cliff face
the face of a building
the face of a golf club
a species that has vanished from the face of the earth [=a species that is no longer found anywhere in the world]
If you ask me, he's the biggest fool on the face of the earth. [=in the world]
b
: a surface or side that is marked or prepared in some way
the face of a document
c
: a side of a coin
Which face will the coin land on—heads or tails?
d
: the part of a clock or watch that shows the time
a clock face
e
mathematics
: any one of the flat surfaces of a solid shape
A cube is a solid with six square faces.
faces; faced; facing
1
a
: to stand or sit with your face and body turned toward (something or someone)
The teacher faced the class.
She turned around to face the window.
He sat facing the wall.
Turn and face to the east.
b
: to have the front part toward (something)
The house faces the park.
The living room faces the afternoon sun.
My shoe was lying in the corner with its sole facing upward.
The flower opens facing skyward.
c
: to be on the page that is opposite to (another page)
Look at the illustration that faces page 132. = Look at the illustration facing page 132.
Look at the illustration on the facing page.
2
a
: to deal with (something bad or unpleasant) in a direct way
Only by facing your problems can you hope to overcome them.
You must stand and face the danger.
He'll have to face the consequences of his decision.
b
: to admit that (something) is true or real
It was time to face the truth.
We have to face the possibility that the economy will get worse before it gets better.
We have to face reality.
3
a
: to have (something bad or unpleasant) as a problem or possibility : to be confronted by (something)
This is not the first time she has faced adversity.
Because of the drought, thousands of people are now facing starvation.
He finds himself facing criminal charges for his role in the conspiracy.
She faced a difficult choice. [=she had to make a difficult choice]
b
: to be a problem for (someone) : to require the attention of (someone)
There were many important questions facing them.
We can't ignore the problems that face us.
c
: to force (someone) to see and deal with something in a direct way
He couldn't deny his involvement when the police faced [=confronted] him with the evidence.
—usually used as (be) facedHe was faced with the evidence.
We are faced with two unpleasant options.
We can't ignore the problems that we are faced with.
4
a
: to meet with (someone) despite shame, fear, or embarrassment
I don't know if I can face him again after treating him so badly.
b
: to meet (someone) in a competition : to compete or fight against (someone)
The team has to face a tough opponent in its next game.
It was the first time that these two fighters had faced each other in the ring.
The pitcher struck out the first three batters he faced.
5
: to cover the front or the surface of (something)
They faced the building with marble.
a chimney faced with red brick
a brick-faced chimney
Cite this Entry
“Face.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/face. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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