80+ Face Idioms with meanings and examples
Here are 80+ Face idioms with their meanings and examples:
Face the music
Meaning: to accept responsibility for something you have done wrong
Example: He knew he was in trouble and had to face the music.
Save face
Meaning: to avoid embarrassment or disgrace
Example: She made a mistake, but tried to save face by blaming it on someone else.
Keep a straight face
Meaning: to not show any emotion, especially when you want to laugh
Example: It was so funny, but I had to keep a straight face during the meeting.
Lose face
Meaning: to suffer humiliation or embarrassment
Example: He lost face when he was caught cheating on the test.
Put on a brave face
Meaning: to try to be strong and not show your true feelings
Example: Even though she was devastated, she put on a brave face for her children.
Face value
Meaning: the apparent worth or significance of something
Example: He took the offer at face value and later regretted it.
Face off
Meaning: a confrontation or conflict
Example: The two teams had a face off on the football field.
Face the facts
Meaning: to acknowledge and accept the reality of a situation
Example: She had to face the facts that she wasn’t going to get the promotion.
Face the consequences
Meaning: to accept the outcome of one’s actions
Example: He knew he had broken the rules and was prepared to face the consequences.
Face the truth
Meaning: to acknowledge and accept the truth about a situation
Example: It was hard for her to face the truth about her relationship with him.
Written all over your face
Meaning: something is clearly visible or evident in your expression
Example: He tried to hide his disappointment, but it was written all over his face.
Long face
Meaning: a sad or disappointed expression
Example: She had a long face after hearing the bad news.
Poker face
Meaning: a calm expression used to hide one’s emotions
Example: She had a great poker face and never gave away her true feelings.
Straight face
Meaning: a serious expression
Example: Even though it was a funny joke, he managed to keep a straight face.
Face the firing squad
Meaning: to be held accountable for one’s actions
Example: He knew he was going to face the firing squad for his mistake.
Face up to
Meaning: to confront or acknowledge a difficult situation
Example: She had to face up to the fact that she needed to quit her job.
Face down
Meaning: to confront or overcome something
Example: He faced down his fears and jumped out of the plane.
Slap in the face
Meaning: an insult or humiliation
Example: Being fired was a real slap in the face.
In your face
Meaning: aggressive or confrontational behavior
Example: His in your face attitude was not appreciated by his coworkers.
Egg on your face
Meaning: to be embarrassed or ashamed
Example: He had egg on his face after his failed attempt at the project.
Two-faced
Meaning: someone who is insincere or deceitful
Example: She was two-faced and talked about people behind their backs.
Face to face
Meaning: a personal meeting or conversation
Example: They had a face to face meeting to discuss the issue.
Clock face
Meaning: the front of a clock that displays the time
Example: The clock face was easy to read and helped him keep track of time.
Turn the other cheek
Meaning: to respond to an insult or injury with nonviolence
Example: She decided to turn the other cheek and not get into an argument.
About-face
Meaning: a sudden change in direction or opinion
Example: The company made an about-face and decided to change their strategy.
On the face of it
Meaning: based on initial impressions
Example: On the face of it, the proposal seems reasonable, but we need to carefully review the details before making a final decision.
Baby face
Meaning: a youthful and innocent-looking face
Example: Even though he was in his thirties, he still had a baby face.
Cut off your nose to spite your face
Meaning: to do something that hurts oneself in an attempt to hurt someone else
Example: She quit her job to get back at her boss, but ended up cutting off her nose to spite her face.
Face saver
Meaning: a way to avoid embarrassment or save one’s reputation
Example: She came up with a face saver to avoid being embarrassed in front of her colleagues.
Fish face
Meaning: a pouting or puckered face
Example: She made a fish face to show her displeasure.
Get in someone’s face
Meaning: to confront or challenge someone
Example: He got in his boss’s face when he disagreed with his decision.
Grin and bear it
Meaning: to endure a difficult or unpleasant situation with a smile
Example: Even though she was in pain, she tried to grin and bear it.
Head in the clouds
Meaning: to be unaware of reality or practical matters
Example: He had his head in the clouds and didn’t realize how difficult the project would be.
Jump out of one’s skin
Meaning: to be extremely startled or surprised
Example: He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw the spider.
Keep one’s eyes peeled
Meaning: to be alert and watchful
Example: She kept her eyes peeled for any suspicious activity.
Keep one’s nose to the grindstone
Meaning: to work hard and diligently
Example: He kept his nose to the grindstone and finished the project on time.
Keep one’s poker face
Meaning: to remain calm and composed, especially in a difficult situation
Example: Even though he was nervous, he kept his poker face during the interview.
Keep one’s wits about oneself
Meaning: to remain calm and focused, especially in a crisis
Example: She kept her wits about herself and successfully navigated the emergency situation.
Let one’s hair down
Meaning: to relax and have fun
Example: She decided to let her hair down and enjoy the party.
Look someone in the eye
Meaning: to make direct eye contact with someone
Example: He looked his opponent in the eye before the game started.
Put the Best Face On
Meaning: to present something in the most positive light possible, to make it seem as good as possible.
Example: The defeat hurt his pride, but he was determined to put a good face on it.
Mug shot
Meaning: a photograph of someone’s face, especially a criminal suspect
Example: The police took his mug shot after he was arrested.
Paint a rosy picture
Meaning: to present a situation in a positive light
Example: She painted a rosy picture of her company’s financial situation, but it was actually in trouble.
Pull a long face
Meaning: to look sad or disappointed
Example: He pulled a long face when he heard the bad news.
Put a brave face on
Meaning: to act as if everything is fine, even when it’s not
Example: She put a brave face on after her breakup, but she was really hurting.
Put a face to the name
Meaning: to meet someone in person after knowing their name or reputation
Example: I finally got to put a face to the name of the CEO I had only heard about before.
Rub (Something) in Someone’s Face
Meaning: Humiliate someone by repeating and criticizing his or her mistake
Example: I really screwed up my speech, and Caroline keeps rubbing the disaster in my face.
Put on a straight face
Meaning: to control one’s facial expressions and appear serious
Example: He put on a straight face during the meeting, even though he was secretly amused.
Smack in the face
Meaning: a sudden and surprising realization or revelation
Example: The news that he had been lied to was a smack in the face.
Talk through one’s hat
Meaning: to speak nonsense or talk without knowledge of the subject
Example: He was talking through his hat when he tried to explain the science behind the phenomenon.
Straight-faced
Meaning: not showing any emotion, especially when telling a joke or lying
Example: He told the joke with a straight face, making it hard to tell if he was serious or not.
Take it on the chin
Meaning: to accept criticism or hardship without complaining
Example: She took the negative feedback on her performance on the chin and worked to improve.
Throw in one’s face
Meaning: to remind someone of something unpleasant or uncomfortable
Example: She threw his past mistakes in his face during their argument.
Wipe the smile off someone’s face
Meaning: to make someone stop feeling happy or proud
Example: The bad news wiped the smile off her face.
Without batting an eye
Meaning: without showing any reaction or emotion
Example: He agreed to the outrageous demands without batting an eye.
Worn-out face
Meaning: a tired or exhausted-looking face
Example: After working long hours, he had a worn-out face.
Written all over one’s face
Meaning: easily discernible from one’s facial expressions
Example: His disappointment was written all over his face when he heard the news.
You can’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: you can’t judge someone or something based solely on appearances
Example: Despite his scruffy appearance, he was actually very intelligent and accomplished. You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Stone face
Meaning: an unemotional and serious face
Example: She had a stone face during the presentation, making it hard to read her reactions.
Egg on one’s face
Meaning: to be embarrassed or humiliated by one’s own actions or words
Example: He had egg on his face after his careless mistake caused a big problem.
Butter wouldn’t melt in one’s mouth
Meaning: used to describe someone who appears innocent or wholesome, but may not be
Example: She looks like a sweet girl, but butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
Cheek by jowl
Meaning: very close together, side by side
Example: The cars were parked cheek by jowl in the narrow street.
Cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face
Meaning: to do something that is meant to hurt someone else, but that ultimately harms oneself more
Example: She quit her job in a fit of anger, but ended up cutting off her nose to spite her face when she couldn’t find another one.
Fly in the face of
Meaning: to go against something or someone, to contradict
Example: His decision to quit his stable job and start his own business flew in the face of his family’s expectations.
Have a familiar ring to it
Meaning: to sound familiar or recognizable
Example: The story had a familiar ring to it, but I couldn’t quite remember where I had heard it before.
Have egg on one’s face
Meaning: to be embarrassed or humiliated by something one has said or done
Example: He had egg on his face after his mistake was pointed out in front of the whole team.
In one’s face
Meaning: directly in front of someone, often used to describe something unpleasant or confrontational
Example: The unpleasant smell was in his face as soon as he walked in the room.
Jump down someone’s throat
Meaning: to become angry or confrontational with someone, often without reason
Example: She jumped down his throat when he asked a simple question.
Keep one’s nose to the grindstone
Meaning: to work hard and persistently, often at a difficult or unpleasant task
Example: He kept his nose to the grindstone for months in order to finish his dissertation on time.
Make a face
Meaning: to contort one’s facial expressions in a way that expresses disgust or disapproval
Example: She made a face when she saw the food on her plate.
Off one’s face
Meaning: intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
Example: He was completely off his face after a night of heavy drinking.
Play it by ear
Meaning: to decide one’s course of action as events unfold, rather than planning ahead
Example: We don’t have a set schedule, so we’ll just have to play it by ear and see where the day takes us.
Pull a face
Meaning: to make a facial expression that expresses disapproval or disgust
Example: She pulled a face when she tasted the food.
Put one’s face on
Meaning: to apply makeup, especially cosmetics
Example: She spent an hour putting her face on before the party.
Show one’s true colors
Meaning: to reveal one’s true character or intentions
Example: He seemed nice at first, but when he didn’t get what he wanted, he showed his true colors.
Straight-faced
Meaning: serious or unemotional, often used to describe someone who is telling a joke or making a sarcastic comment
Example: He told the joke with a straight face, making it hard to tell if he was serious or not.
Take at face value
Meaning: to accept something as true or genuine without questioning it
Example: She took his apology at face value, even though she wasn’t sure if he meant it.
The face that launched a thousand ships
Meaning: a reference to the mythical Helen of Troy, whose beauty was said to have caused a war
Example: She was the face that launched a thousand ships, with men falling in love with her at first sight.
The long face
Meaning: a sad or unhappy expression, often used to describe someone who is disappointed or defeated
Example: He had a long face when he found out he didn’t get the job he wanted.
To face the facts
Meaning: to accept and deal with a difficult or unpleasant truth
Example: She had to face the facts that her relationship wasn’t working out.
To face the music
Meaning: to accept the consequences of one’s actions, often used to describe someone who is about to receive punishment or criticism
Example: He knew he had made a mistake and was ready to face the music.
Wipe the smile off one’s face
Meaning: to cause someone to stop smiling, often by delivering bad news or criticism
Example: He wiped the smile off her face when he told her the project was behind schedule.
Written all over one’s face
Meaning: easy to read or understand from someone’s expression, often used to describe a strong emotion or reaction
Example: The disappointment was written all over his face when he heard he didn’t get the promotion.
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