Janus-faced

adjective

ˈjā-nəs-ˌfāst How to pronounce Janus-faced (audio)
Definition of Janus-facednext
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express there was a Janus-faced quality to the interview: for all of the smiling and nodding, the interviewer's body language expressed deep boredom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for Janus-faced
  1. double
  2. fake
  3. lip
  4. strained
  5. hypocritical
  6. superficial
  7. hollow
Adjective
  • Ambiguity, subtext, double meanings, and metaphor course through all of them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • And companies in the entertainment, media and tech sectors are responding by spending substantially more on CEO security, by double — and in some cases triple — digits.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of double
Adjective
  • Once roles are introduced to the game, the players make a comedy meal out of loudly fake narrating what Sam is doing while they’re blindfolded.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Those who speak a password, released via social media, receive a fake business card, which does mean many a guest is standing there shouting a password at the actor.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.
    — Essence, Essence, 23 Nov. 2025
Definition of lip
Adjective
  • Gasper, who turns 31 next month, played for a month in the tense environment of the Dominican Winter League, then was summoned by Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic after former Red Sox catcher Kyle Teel suffered a strained right hamstring.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Fielder said the relationship grew strained as Evans tried to exert greater control over the project.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.
    — Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That some people in these industries, including those who are well paid, would look at our economy and seek out other ways of doing things is neither hypocritical nor surprising.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • That is at best a superficial understanding of the work involved in psychiatric treatment and the substantial labor that occurs outside the appointment itself.
    — Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The privileges of Jover’s life appear entirely superficial, even a bit alien, when contrasted with her granddaughter’s narrative thread.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of superficial
Adjective
  • That part is too real, too disturbing, and Barrett’s hollow script avoids tackling the subject head on.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Today, military forces use ram-air paragliders, which consist of canopies made of flexible, ram-air wings with an upper and lower shell connected by internal fabric ribs to form hollow cells.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of hollow
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.

Browse Nearby Words

janitors
Janus-faced
japan
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Cite this Entry

“Janus-faced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Janus-faced. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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