Vocabulary     

What does face mean?

Definitions for face
feɪsface

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word face.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. face, human facenoun

    the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

    "he washed his face"; "I wish I had seen the look on his face when he got the news"

  2. expression, look, aspect, facial expression, facenoun

    the feelings expressed on a person's face

    "a sad expression"; "a look of triumph"; "an angry face"

  3. facenoun

    the general outward appearance of something

    "the face of the city is changing"

  4. facenoun

    the striking or working surface of an implement

  5. facenoun

    a part of a person that is used to refer to a person

    "he looked out at a roomful of faces"; "when he returned to work he met many new faces"

  6. side, facenoun

    a surface forming part of the outside of an object

    "he examined all sides of the crystal"; "dew dripped from the face of the leaf"

  7. facenoun

    the part of an animal corresponding to the human face

  8. facenoun

    the side upon which the use of a thing depends (usually the most prominent surface of an object)

    "he dealt the cards face down"

  9. grimace, facenoun

    a contorted facial expression

    "she made a grimace at the prospect"

  10. font, fount, typeface, face, casenoun

    a specific size and style of type within a type family

  11. facenoun

    status in the eyes of others

    "he lost face"

  12. boldness, nerve, brass, face, cheeknoun

    impudent aggressiveness

    "I couldn't believe her boldness"; "he had the effrontery to question my honesty"

  13. faceverb

    a vertical surface of a building or cliff

  14. confront, face up, faceverb

    deal with (something unpleasant) head on

    "You must confront your problems"; "He faced the terrible consequences of his mistakes"

  15. confront, faceverb

    oppose, as in hostility or a competition

    "You must confront your opponent"; "Jackson faced Smith in the boxing ring"; "The two enemies finally confronted each other"

  16. front, look, faceverb

    be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to

    "The house looks north"; "My backyard look onto the pond"; "The building faces the park"

  17. faceverb

    be opposite

    "the facing page"; "the two sofas face each other"

  18. faceverb

    turn so as to face; turn the face in a certain direction

    "Turn and face your partner now"

  19. confront, face, presentverb

    present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize

    "We confronted him with the evidence"; "He was faced with all the evidence and could no longer deny his actions"; "An enormous dilemma faces us"

  20. faceverb

    turn so as to expose the face

    "face a playing card"

  21. faceverb

    line the edge (of a garment) with a different material

    "face the lapels of the jacket"

  22. faceverb

    cover the front or surface of

    "The building was faced with beautiful stones"

Wiktionary

  1. facenoun

    The front part of the head, featuring the eyes, nose, and mouth and the surrounding area.

    She has a pretty face.

  2. facenoun

    One's facial expression.

    Why the sad face?

  3. facenoun

    The public image; outward appearance.

  4. facenoun

    The frontal aspect of something.

    The face of the cliff loomed above them.

  5. facenoun

    The directed force of something.

    They turned to boat into the face of the storm.

  6. facenoun

    Good reputation; standing in the eyes of others; dignity; prestige. (See lose face, save face).

  7. facenoun

    Any of the flat bounding surfaces of a polyhedron. More generally, any of the bounding pieces of a polytope of any dimension.

  8. facenoun

    Any surface; especially a front or outer one.

  9. facenoun

    The numbered dial of a clock or watch.

  10. faceverb

    to position oneself or itself so as to have one's face closest to (something).

    Face the sun.

  11. faceverb

    to have its front closest to (something else).

    Turn the chair so it faces the table.

  12. faceverb

    To deal with (a difficult situation or person).

    I'm going to have to face this sooner or later.

  13. faceverb

    To have the front in a certain direction.

    The bunkers faced north and east, toward Germany.

  14. faceverb

    to have as an opponent

  15. faceverb

    To be the striking batsman.*

  16. facenoun

    The mouth.

  17. facenoun

    Makeup; one's complete facial cosmetic application.

    I'll be out in a sec, just let me put on my face.

  18. facenoun

    Short for babyface. A wrestler whose on-ring persona is embodying heroic or virtuous traits. Contrast with heel.

    The fans cheered on the face as he made his comeback.

  19. facenoun

    The front surface of a bat.

  20. facenoun

    The part of a that hits the ball.

  21. facenoun

    The side of the card that shows its value (as opposed to the back side, which looks the same on all cards of the deck).

  22. facenoun

    A typeface.

  23. Etymology: face, from * < Classical facies

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. FACEnoun

    Etymology: face, French, from facies, Latin.

    The children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’s face shone. Exod. xxxiv. 35.

    A man shall see faces, which, if you examine them part by part, you shall never find good; but take them together, are not uncomely. Francis Bacon, Essay 44.

    From beauty still to beauty ranging,
    In ev’ry face I found a dart. Joseph Addison, Spectator.

    Seiz’d and ty’d down to judge, how wretched I!
    Who can’t be silent, and who will not lye:
    To laugh, were want of goodness and of grace;
    And to be grave, exceeds all pow’r of face. Alexander Pope, Epistles.

    A mist watered the whole face of the ground. Gen. ii. 6.

    The breadth of the face of the house, towards the East, was an hundred cubits. Ezek. xli. 14.

    He look’d, and saw the face of things quite chang’d,
    The brazen throat of war had ceas’d to roar;
    All now was turn’d to jollity and game,
    To luxury and riot, feast and dance. John Milton, Par. Lost.

    This would produce a new face of things in Europe. Addis.

    Keep still your former face, and mix again
    With these lost spirits; run all their mazes with ’em;
    For such are treasons. Ben Jonson.

    At the first shock, with blood and powder stain’d,
    Nor heav’n, nor sea, their former face retain’d;
    Fury and art produce effects so strange,
    They trouble nature, and her visage change. Edmund Waller.

    His dialogue has so much the face of probability, that some have mistaken it for a real conference. Thomas Baker.

    Ye shall give her unto Eleazar, and one shall slay her before his face. Numb. xix. 3.

    Jove cannot fear; then tell me to my face,
    That I of all the gods am least in grace. John Dryden, Iliad.

    Thinking, by this face,
    To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
    But ’tis not so. William Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar.

    How many things are there which a man cannot, with any face or comliness, say or do himself? A man can scarce allege his own merits with modesty, much less extol them: a man cannot sometimes brook to supplicate or beg. Francis Bacon, Essay 28.

    You’ll find the thing will not be done
    With ignorance and face alone. Hudibras, p. ii.

    You, says the judge to the wolf, have the face to challenge that which you never lost; and you, says he to the fox, have the confidence to deny that which you have certainly stolen. Roger L'Estrange, Fable 415.

    This is the man that has the face to charge others with false citations. John Tillotson, Preface.

    Shame itself!
    Why do you make such faces? William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

  2. To Faceverb

    I’ll face
    This tempest, and deserve the name of king. Dryden.

    We get intelligence of the force of the enemy, and cast about for a sufficient number of troops to face the enemy in the field of battle. Joseph Addison, on the War.

    They are as loth to see the fires kindled in Smithfield as his lordship; and, at least, as ready to face them under a popish persecution. Jonathan Swift.

    We trapann’d the state, and fac’d it down
    With plots and projects of our own. Hudibras, p. iii. c. 2.

    Because he walk’d against his will,
    He fac’d men down that he stood still. Matthew Prior.

    On one side is the head of the emperor Trajan; the reverse has on it the circus Maximus, and a view of the side of the Palatine mountain that faces it. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

    The temple is described to be square, and the four fronts with open gates, facing the different quarters of the world. Alexander Pope, Temple of Fame.

    The whole fortification of Soleurre is faced with marble. Joseph Addison, Remarks on Italy.

    Where your old bank is hollow, face it with the first spit of earth that you dig out of the ditch. John Mortimer, Husbandry.

  3. To Faceverb

    Etymology: from the noun.

    Thou needs must learn to laugh, to lye,
    To face, to forge, to scoff, to company. Hubberd’s Tale.

    Face about, man; you a soldier, and afraid of the enemy! John Dryden, Spanish Fryar.

    Then thrice the mounted squadrons ride around
    The fire, and Arcite’s name they thrice resound;
    Hail and farewel they shouted thrice amain,
    Thrice facing to the left, and thence they turn’d again. Dry.

Wikipedia

  1. Face

    The face is the front of an animal's head that features three of the head's sense organs, the eyes, nose, and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities affects the psyche adversely.

ChatGPT

  1. face

    A face refers to the front part of the head of humans and some animals that includes the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin. It is the focal point of communication and expression, involving various features that distinguish individuals and convey emotions.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Facenoun

    the exterior form or appearance of anything; that part which presents itself to the view; especially, the front or upper part or surface; that which particularly offers itself to the view of a spectator

  2. Facenoun

    that part of a body, having several sides, which may be seen from one point, or which is presented toward a certain direction; one of the bounding planes of a solid; as, a cube has six faces

  3. Facenoun

    the principal dressed surface of a plate, disk, or pulley; the principal flat surface of a part or object

  4. Facenoun

    that part of the acting surface of a cog in a cog wheel, which projects beyond the pitch line

  5. Facenoun

    the width of a pulley, or the length of a cog from end to end; as, a pulley or cog wheel of ten inches face

  6. Facenoun

    the upper surface, or the character upon the surface, of a type, plate, etc

  7. Facenoun

    the style or cut of a type or font of type

  8. Facenoun

    outside appearance; surface show; look; external aspect, whether natural, assumed, or acquired

  9. Facenoun

    that part of the head, esp. of man, in which the eyes, cheeks, nose, and mouth are situated; visage; countenance

  10. Facenoun

    cast of features; expression of countenance; look; air; appearance

  11. Facenoun

    ten degrees in extent of a sign of the zodiac

  12. Facenoun

    maintenance of the countenance free from abashment or confusion; confidence; boldness; shamelessness; effrontery

  13. Facenoun

    presence; sight; front; as in the phrases, before the face of, in the immediate presence of; in the face of, before, in, or against the front of; as, to fly in the face of danger; to the face of, directly to; from the face of, from the presence of

  14. Facenoun

    mode of regard, whether favorable or unfavorable; favor or anger; mostly in Scriptural phrases

  15. Facenoun

    the end or wall of the tunnel, drift, or excavation, at which work is progressing or was last done

  16. Facenoun

    the exact amount expressed on a bill, note, bond, or other mercantile paper, without any addition for interest or reduction for discount

  17. Faceverb

    to meet in front; to oppose with firmness; to resist, or to meet for the purpose of stopping or opposing; to confront; to encounter; as, to face an enemy in the field of battle

  18. Faceverb

    to Confront impudently; to bully

  19. Faceverb

    to stand opposite to; to stand with the face or front toward; to front upon; as, the apartments of the general faced the park

  20. Faceverb

    to cover in front, for ornament, protection, etc.; to put a facing upon; as, a building faced with marble

  21. Faceverb

    to line near the edge, esp. with a different material; as, to face the front of a coat, or the bottom of a dress

  22. Faceverb

    to cover with better, or better appearing, material than the mass consists of, for purpose of deception, as the surface of a box of tea, a barrel of sugar, etc

  23. Faceverb

    to make the surface of (anything) flat or smooth; to dress the face of (a stone, a casting, etc.); esp., in turning, to shape or smooth the flat surface of, as distinguished from the cylindrical surface

  24. Faceverb

    to cause to turn or present a face or front, as in a particular direction

  25. Faceverb

    to carry a false appearance; to play the hypocrite

  26. Faceverb

    to turn the face; as, to face to the right or left

  27. Faceverb

    to present a face or front

  28. Etymology: [F., from L. facies form, shape, face, perh. from facere to make (see Fact); or perh. orig. meaning appearance, and from a root meaning to shine, and akin to E. fancy. Cf. Facetious.]

Wikidata

  1. Face

    The face is a central sense organ complex, normally on the ventral surface of the head for animals that have one.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Face

    fās, n. the front part of the head, including forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, and chin: the outside make or appearance: front or surface of anything: the edge of a cutting-tool, &c.: the part of a coal-seam actually being mined: cast of features, any special appearance or expression of the countenance: look, configuration: boldness, effrontery; presence: (B.) anger or favour.—v.t. to meet in the face or in front: to stand opposite to: to resist: to put an additional face or surface on; to cover in front.—v.i. to turn the face, as in military tactics—'right face,' &c.—ns. Face′-ache, neuralgia in the nerves of the face; Face′-card, a playing-card bearing a face (king, queen, or knave); Face′-cloth, a cloth laid over the face of a corpse.—adj. Faced, having the outer surface dressed, with the front, as of a dress, covered ornamentally with another material.—n. Face′-guard, a kind of mask to guard or protect the face.—adj. Face′less, without a face.—ns. Fac′er, one who puts on a false show: a bold-faced person: (slang) a severe blow on the face, anything that staggers one; Fac′ing, a covering in front for ornament or protection.—Face down, to abash by stern looks; Face out, to carry off by bold looks; Face the music (U.S. slang), to accept the situation at its worst; Face-to-face, in front of, in actual presence of.—Accept one's face, to show him favour or grant his request; Fly in the face of, to set one's self directly against; Have two faces, or Be two-faced, to be disingenuous; On the face of it, on its own showing: palpably plain; Pull a long face, to look dismal and unhappy; Put a good face on, to assume a bold or contented bearing as regards; Right face! Left face! Right about face! words of command, on which the soldiers individually turn to the side specified; Run one's face (U.S. slang), to obtain things on credit by sheer impudence; Set one's face against, to oppose strenuously; Show one's face, to appear, to come in view; Shut the door in his face, to shut the door before him, refusing him admittance; To his face, in his presence, openly. [Fr. face—L. ''facies'', form, face; perh. from facĕre, to make.]

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Face

    The anterior portion of the head that includes the skin, muscles, and structures of the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, and jaw.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. face

    The edge of a sharp instrument. Also, the word of command to soldiers, marines, and small-arm men, to turn upon the heel a quarter or half a circle round in the direction ordered.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. face

    A term of varied application. In fortification, it is an appellation given to several parts of a fortress, as the face of the bastion, which is the two sides, reaching from the flanks to the salient angles. The prolonged or extended face is that part of the line of defense which is terminated by the curtain and the angle of the shoulder. Strictly taken, it is the line of defense rayant, diminished by the face of the bastion.

  2. face

    In tactics, is the turning of a soldier on his heels as a “right face”; also the word of command for the movement. To face is to turn on the heels.

Editors Contribution

  1. face

    The element of the head with specific features.

    The face is an amazing feature of our body, it includes so many different forms and it all is created inside the womb and changes over time - a miracle itself.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 25, 2020  

  2. facenoun

    The flesh in solemnization facsimile civil engineering common era. 1.) the front part of a person's head from the forehead to the chin, or corresponding part in a animal.

    The face expresses emotion; an expression is shown on the face.

    Etymology: Image


    Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on April 23, 2024  

Suggested Resources

  1. face

    The face symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the face symbol and its characteristic.

  2. face

    Song lyrics by face -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by face on the Lyrics.com website.

  3. FACE

    What does FACE stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the FACE acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. FACE

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Face is ranked #47186 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Face surname appeared 450 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Face.

    90.8% or 409 total occurrences were White.
    4.4% or 20 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
    1.7% or 8 total occurrences were Black.
    1.5% or 7 total occurrences were of two or more races.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'face' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #291

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'face' in Written Corpus Frequency: #797

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'face' in Nouns Frequency: #75

  4. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'face' in Verbs Frequency: #138

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for face »

  1. cafe

  2. café

How to pronounce face?

How to say face in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of face in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of face in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of face in a Sentence

  1. Maxime Cumunel:

    We have avoided a complete disaster. But some five to 10 percent of the artwork has probably been destroyed, we have to face up to that.

  2. Marshall Allen:

    At one point someone put their hands on one of our protesters, literally getting physical with her, one got spit in her face.

  3. Gustavo Machin:

    Look at my face, it reflects the spirit in which we've been talking up 'til now.

  4. Henry James:

    The face of nature and civilization in this our country is to a certain point a very sufficient literary field. But it will yield its secrets only to a really grasping imagination. To write well and worthily of American things one need even more than elsewhere to be a master.

  5. Rick Bright:

    President-elect Biden, and his leadership and listening to scientists, believe that if we all wore our masks for 100 days, we would have a significant reduction in the transmission of the virus, the science shows that wearing a face mask reduces the spread. I think it would have a huge impact.

more sentences »

Popularity rank by frequency of use

face#1#973#10000

References

Translations for face

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for face »

Translation

Find a translation for the face definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:

Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"face." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/face>.

Powered by CITE.ME Cite.Me

Discuss these face definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for face? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    face

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    #ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    A secession
    B reciprocal
    C contempt
    D germ

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for face: