as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
a moue of distaste at the display of bad manners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 moue
In her trademark cat-eye glasses, with her bitter-lemon moue, Hoffman, as Moth, is comedy just standing there; Harada, as Mustardseed, a warmth machine.
—
New York Times, 24 Oct. 2021
Not just any moue, either, but a supermoue—a whole cultural attitude distilled into a single boffff.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2020
Pennywise, who sometimes takes the form of a giant spider-like monster, and whose pouty moue can suddenly sprout rows of sharp, brownish fangs, both feeds and feeds upon ordinary human viciousness.
—New York Times, 3 Sep. 2019
New York Times, 24 Oct. 2021
Not just any moue, either, but a supermoue—a whole cultural attitude distilled into a single boffff.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2020
Pennywise, who sometimes takes the form of a giant spider-like monster, and whose pouty moue can suddenly sprout rows of sharp, brownish fangs, both feeds and feeds upon ordinary human viciousness.
—New York Times, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moue
Noun
-
Throughout baseball history, such collisions have been met mostly with grimaces and shrugs.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Monday’s developments were greeted with grimace around town.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
And only after stomping around for almost two full minutes did Roberts finally retreat, trudging back to the clubhouse with a scowl on his face.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
-
The rout evened this three-game series and added a laugher to a rivalry usually played with scowls and gritted teeth.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
Young visitors at the Vietnam Military History Museum posted photos of themselves next to the flag with deep frowns, thumbs down or middle fingers raised.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
-
In this community, mention of President Trump elicits shudders, frowns or blank stares.—
Kurt Streeter,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
This 30-year-old expression is smooth, flavorful, and rich on the palate, with an oily viscosity and full-bodied robustness that envelops the mouth.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Indeed, at one point, the owner even pretended to place the ball in the machine using his mouth, just as his dog would do, but even that was beyond the golden's realm of understanding.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The rest of her glam was signature J.Lo: arched brows, wispy lashes, glowy highlighter, and a soft, glossy pout.—
Robyn Merrett,
StyleCaster,
27 May 2025
-
Thanks to Mickey’s testimony, Lefty’s face was splashed on the front pages of newspapers across the country, his left hand tugging anxiously at the knot of his tie, lower lip jutting out in a De Niro-esque pout.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moue. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share