face

1 of 2

noun

ˈfās 

often attributive

1

a

: the front part of the head that in humans extends from the forehead to the chin and includes the mouth, nose, cheeks, and eyes

b

: the face as a means of identification : countenance

would know that face anywhere

2

archaic : presence, sight

3

a

: facial expression

a friendly face

b

: a facial expression of distaste or displeasure

he made a face when he saw the test results

c

: makeup sense 3a(1)

—usually used in the phrase put one's face on

… I have never been the kind of woman who feels comfortable popping to the shops without putting my face on first.

—Vicki Michelle

4

a(1)

: outward appearance

put a good face on it

(2)

: the aspect of something that is perceptible or obvious upon superficial examination

the theory is absurd on its face

—Kim Neely

b

: disguise, pretense

c(1)

: assurance, confidence

maintaining a firm face in spite of adversity

(2)

: effrontery

how anyone could have the face to ask that question

d

: dignity, prestige

afraid to lose face

5

: surface:

a(1)

: a front, upper, or outer surface

vanished from the face of the earth

(2)

: the front of something having two or four sides

the face of a clock

(3)

: facade

the face of a building

(4)

: an exposed surface of rock

(5)

: any of the plane surfaces that bound a geometric solid

A cube is a solid with six square faces.

b

: a surface specially prepared: such as

(1)

: the principal finished surface (as of a tool or implement)

The tendency of the belt is to slip over the face of the pulley in a counter clockwise direction.

—H. W. Harkness

Cans are made from … thin sheets of steel lightly coated with tin. This tin coating serves two purposes: it covers the face of the steel sheet, preserving it from rust; and it acts as a medium by which parts of a sheet may be made to adhere to one another by soldering.

—B. S. Luh et al.

(2)

: the right side (as of cloth or leather)

(3)

: an inscribed, printed, or marked side

the two faces of a coin

c

: a striking surface (as of a tool)

the face of the golf club

the face of an anvil

d(1)

: the surface (as of type) that receives the ink and transfers it to the paper

(2)

: a style of type

6

: the end or wall of a mine tunnel, drift, or excavation at which work is progressing

7

: face value

8

a

: person

lots of new faces around here

b

professional wrestling : baby face sense 2

Randy Orton earned respect as a heel because of his cocky, overconfident persona. As a face, he's lost the smugness that defined his character and is struggling to find his identity.

—Rennie Detore

face

2 of 2

verb

faced; facing

transitive verb

1

: to confront impudently

faced him with evidence of treachery

2

a

: to line near the edge especially with a different material

b

: to cover the front or surface of

faced the building with marble

3

: to meet face-to-face or in competition

The team will face a tough opponent in its next game.

4

a

: to stand or sit with the face toward

The teacher faced the class.

b

: to have the front oriented toward

a house facing the park

5

a

: to recognize and deal with straightforwardly

face the facts

b

: to master by confronting with determination

—used with down

faced down his critics

6

a

: to have as a prospect : be confronted by

face a grim future

b

: to be a prospect or a source of concern for

the problems that face us

c

: to bring face-to-face

he was faced with ruin

7

: to make the surface of (something, such as a stone) flat or smooth

8

: to cause (troops) to face in a particular direction on command

The captain faced his company to the left.

intransitive verb

1

: to have the face or front turned in a specified direction

The house faced south.

2

: to turn the face in a specified direction

She faced to her left.

Phrases

in one's face

: directly and aggressively in one's presence

dunked the ball in his face

—often used with get to describe aggressively confrontational speech or behavior

his boss got in his face about being late

in the face of or less commonly in face of

: face-to-face with : despite

fearless in the face of danger

to one's face

: in one's presence or so that one is fully aware of what is going on

If you have something to say about me, say it to my face.

face the music

: to meet an unpleasant situation, a danger, or the consequences of one's actions

Synonyms

Noun

• countenance
• kisser [slang]
• mug
• pan [slang]
• puss [slang]
• visage

Verb

• front
• look (toward)
• point (toward)

Examples of face in a Sentence

Noun

He has a round face.

His face is familiar but I can't remember his name.

I'll never forget the look on her face.

He fell flat on his face.

I didn't recognize any of the faces around the table.

There are lots of new faces around the office.

Verb

The teacher faced the class.

She turned around to face the window.

He sat facing the wall.

Turn and face to the east.

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.

Look at the illustration on the facing page.

Only by facing your problems can you hope to overcome them.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

TeamHealth has provided clinicians with support and resources for over 40 years to deliver high-quality patient care, even in the face of material reimbursement pressure from private insurers and Medicare. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 12 Apr. 2024

Credit goes to the production staff who replicated the plain brown suit (although the show’s appears more burgundy) and fur cap that Franklin consciously chose to symbolize American republicanism in the face of French extravagance. —Craig Bruce Smith, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

The theme of hope holds particular significance in the face of widespread disillusionment, particularly among younger generations who confront increasing awareness of environmental crises. —Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024

Intel’s ties to Huawei Huawei’s return to the premium consumer market is a marked change from just a few years ago when the company was struggling to survive in the face of severe U.S. sanctions. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 12 Apr. 2024

In the face of such uncertainty, investment programs like the EB-5 provide hope for stimulating the economy and creating more jobs at no cost to US taxpayers. —Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

Advertisement With Reach serving as the face of the lawsuit and the focus of much of John and Orlando’s outrage, Wittenberg and another resident, Ziba Soroudi, quietly gathered support within the building to file a motion seeking to place the HOA board in receivership. —James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

In the face of these attacks, many company leaders are troublingly silent about their commitment to DEI. —Adia Harvey Wingfield, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2024

In the past, Russian officials have twisted themselves into knots trying to obfuscate the Kremlin’s connection to various assassinations around Europe, often in the face of clear evidence of state involvement. —José Bautista, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024

Verb

Without higher rates — said Eric Campbell, the assistant electric utility director — the utility could face revenue shortfalls, which could hurt its very strong bond ratings and trigger more strain. —Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024

At this point, 35 households are facing eviction, said Annie Shaw, an organizer with Chinatown Community for Equitable Development, a group that has been working closely with Hillside Villa tenants. —David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024

Amy Poehler's Joy Gets Bottled Up by Messy Teenaged Emotions in Inside Out 2 Trailer A story about a pre-teen facing the inevitability of puberty, the Parks and Recreation star says the viewer can’t help but feel relatable. —Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024

Ukraine’s army is facing ammunition shortages, while the US is stalling new funding and European allies are trying to figure out how to ship more weapons. —Daryna Krasnolutska, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024

Finally, the Douglas is facing a temporary closure of its own. —Charles McNulty, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024

Trump, who has denied all wrongdoing, also faces two other charges in the D.C. indictment: conspiracy to defraud the United States and depriving Americans of their right to have their votes counted. —Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women and other women of color face harsher evaluations at work due to harmful stereotypes. —Doc Louallen, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2024

Kennedy is also facing increasing attacks from Trump's Super PAC, MAGA Inc., which has labeled Kennedy a radical far-left liberal in a push to pull progressive voters from Biden. —Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Vulgar Latin *facia (attested in early Medieval Latin as facia "portrait"), re-formation of Latin faciēs "appearance, aspect, form, human face," from fac-, stem of facere "to make, do" + -iēs, noun suffix, usually deverbal — more at fact

Verb

Middle English facen, verbal derivative of face face entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing face

• about-face
• a face like thunder
• a slap in the face
• (as) plain as the nose on your face
• at face value
• blue in the face
• face card
• cut off one's nose to spite one's face
• double-face
• face charges
• face-centered
• face angle
• face cord
• face-first
• face off
• face-palm
• face paint
• face shield
• face-saver
• face-plant
• face up to
• face up
• face-to-face
• face value
• fall on one's face
• familiar face
• game face
• in someone's face
• in-your-face
• laugh in someone's face
• keep a straight face
• just another face in the crowd
• long face
• lose face
• look (someone) in the face
• more than just a pretty face
• one's face falls
• one's face lights up
• open-face
• open-face sandwich
• pull a face
• put on a happy face
• put a human face on
• show one's face
• put on a brave face
• screw up one's face/eyes
• screw one's face/eyes up
• stared death in the face
• stand/face trial
• shut one's face
• taken/accepted at face value
• straight face
• the face of the earth
• volte-face
• wear a silly grin/smile on one's face
• wipe (someone or something) off the face of the earth
• wipe that smile off your face
• wipe that smirk off your face
• written all over someone's face
• be/get in someone's face
• cross someone's face
• face facts
• baby face
• face fly
• face mask
• face crumple
• face-lift
• get out of someone's face
• hatchet face
• laugh on the other side of one's face
• feed one's face
• face mask penalty
• face time
• egg on one's face
• save face
• (let's) face it
• smiley face
• the color drained from someone's face
• to someone's face
• on the face of it
• stare (someone) in the face
• on the face of the earth
• with egg on one's face
• stuff one's face
• poker face
• procedural face mask
• you should have seen his face
• face the fact(s)
• procedure face mask
• not just a/another pretty face
• face the music
• wipe the smile off one's face
• whey-face
• in one's face
• the blood drained from someone's face
• staring someone in the face
• in face of
• in the face of
• stare one in the face
• fly in the face of
• to one's face
• make a face
• wipe the grin off his face

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

Kids Definition

face

1 of 2 noun

ˈfās 

1

: the front part of the head

2

a

: an expression of the face

a friendly face

b

: grimace

make a face

3

a

: outward appearance

on the face of it

b

: dignity sense 1, prestige

lose face

4

a

: a front, upper, or outer surface

the face of a cliff

b

: any of the flat surfaces that form the boundary of a solid in geometry

every cube has six faces

c

: a surface or side that is marked or specially prepared

the face of a certificate

d

: an exposed surface of rock

5

: the end (as of a mine tunnel) at which work is going on

6

: person

a lot of new faces around here

face

2 of 2 verb

faced; facing

1

a

: to line near the edge especially with a different material

face a hem

b

: to cover the front or surface of

faced the building with marble

2

: to meet face-to-face

faced the opposing team

face one's accusers

3

a

: to stand or sit with the face toward

face the class

b

: to have the front oriented toward

a house facing the park

4

a

: to recognize and deal with

face facts

b

: to oppose by confronting with determination

face down their critics

5

: to turn toward

face the east

Medical Definition

face

noun

ˈfās 

often attributive

1

a

: the front part of the human head including the chin, mouth, nose, cheeks, eyes, and usually the forehead

b

: the corresponding part of the head of a lower animal

2

: surface

especially : a front, upper, or outer surface

Legal Definition

face

noun

1

a

: outward appearance

b

: the surface or superficial reading or meaning of something (as a document or statute) that does not take into account outside information

the face of [the] deed reveals that she had two purposes in mind

—State v. Rand, 366 A.2d 183 (1976)

—often used in the phrases on its face and on the face of

is…neutral on its face but has a discriminatory effect on women

—Marcia Coyle

did not see on the face of the amendment that it was precisely directed at public as distinguished from private destruction

—O'Brien v. United States, 376 F.2d 538 (1967)

2

: the inscribed or printed side of something (as a document)

broadly : the front side of something inscribed or printed on both sides

the face of a stock certificate

3

: face value