countenances 1 of 2

Definition of countenancesnext
plural of countenance
1
as in expressions
facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling a pleasant countenance that puts visitors at ease

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2

countenances

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of countenance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of countenances
Noun
As the time passes between them seeing me, their countenances are even more concerned. Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
The policy still countenances harmful mining, but with the intent of benefiting locals, not faraway CEOs or shareholders. Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for countenances
Noun
  • The muted expressions in Hong Kong underlined the decline in civil liberties promised by Beijing when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 June 2026
  • Without such a history, an LLM can only rephrase expressions of moral reasoning found in its training data.
    Ted Chiang, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Always, always those little ashen faces.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
  • The faces of the movement, from the models fronting natural-hair campaigns to the content creators filming wash-day tutorials, were overwhelmingly young—women like Chizi Duru, who is now 30; Whitney White, now 40; and Shaneice Crystal, now 31.
    Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Scorsese is the highest-profile filmmaker to embrace the technology roiling many of his Hollywood peers and potentially representing a paradigm shift in how the film industry accepts its use.
    Corbin Bolies, Variety, 3 June 2026
  • Because California accepts and counts large numbers of mail-in ballots after Election Day, final results were not immediately available.
    Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Will its out-of-the-box simplicity—born from a culture that tolerates zero friction—be seen as a competitive edge, or a constraint?
    Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
  • Podocarpus tolerates heavy pruning and can be shaped to suit your needs.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • The show also includes looks that are really about preserving the performer’s face and employing subtle transformations via stubble or smaller prosthetic pieces.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 4 June 2026
  • The Spurs scored only 40 points in the entire second half and struggled to generate good looks in the fourth quarter.
    Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • It’s been just two years since Bottega Veneta launched its inaugural fragrance collection, in which, much like the Maison’s intricate leatherwork, the sinuous bottles perched atop sculptural marble stands felt like stand-alone works of art.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 June 2026
  • This is meant not as a concerto in which the soloist stands as an individual against the masses but, rather, as a partner.
    Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • But the string quartet endures precisely because tension between the voices is part of the form, not a failure of it.
    Rafael Pimentel Pinto, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • In 2022, shoe manufacturer Footwear Unlimited entered into a licensing agreement with Authentic Brands Group to manage the brand and continues to drive the vision, innovation and design that endures today.
    Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • Blue Water Bistro, nearer the sand, handles relaxed lunches and dinners with dishes such as lobster tail burger and seafood claypot.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • As Petruschin focuses on the show’s host, head makeup artist Natasha Marcelina handles the show’s roster of guests.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Countenances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/countenances. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on countenances

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster