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face

noun, often attributive

\ ˈfās

Definition of face

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

3a : 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

4a(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

8a : 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

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 behaviorhis 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

verb

faced; facing

Definition of face (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to confront impudently faced him with evidence of treachery

2a : 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.

4a : 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

5a : to recognize and deal with straightforwardly face the facts

b : to master by confronting with determination —used with downfaced down his critics

6a : 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.

face the music

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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about face

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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 Sky recently canceled a reality TV show after viewers complained one contestant was covered in tattoos—including on his face—that could be seen as having far-right connotations. — Tom Birkett, Quartz, "The history behind ‘QAnon shaman’ Jake Angeli’s far-right tattoos," 13 Jan. 2021 Police said Tate’s mother found her with a gunshot wound to the face, and first responders pronounced Tate dead on the scene. — Ramon Antonio Vargas | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Victim in fatal North Villere Street shooting last week identified as 30-year-old woman," 11 Jan. 2021 With an unworried expression on her face, Ponsetto turned towards the camera and quickly interjected. — Jasely Molina, refinery29.com, "Dear Miya Ponsetto, You Can Be Latinx & Still Be A Karen," 10 Jan. 2021 The man was said to be White, in his late 20s, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with long hair and freckles on his face. — David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Authorities release photos of suspect in La Mesa bank robbery," 30 Dec. 2020 What better place to display a message than front-and-center on your face? — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Masks Became More Than Protection This Year," 29 Dec. 2020 Face-to-face with nowhere to go, watching became the ultimate mode of work. — Jason Parham, Wired, "This Year I Found Pleasure in the Work of Looking," 28 Dec. 2020 Where the acne appears on your face is a marker of what organ the internal problem is connected to. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, "This Acne Face Map Can Determine Why You're Always Breaking Out in the Same Spot," 28 Dec. 2020 The global public-health infrastructure has egg on its face. — Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, "The Plague Year," 28 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Illinois lawmakers had the support to ban schools from locking students alone in a room or physically restraining them face down. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, "Bill Banning Locked Seclusion and Face-Down Restraints in Illinois Schools Stalls as Lawmakers Run Out of Time," 14 Jan. 2021 Since recovering from a torn Achilles tendon in 2017, Rudy Gay has been the NBA’s unofficial counselor for players who have suffered the devastating injury and face its grueling post-surgery rehab. — Tom Orsborn, ExpressNews.com, "How San Antonio Spurs’ Rudy Gay helped 3 Houston Rockets," 14 Jan. 2021 The best way to contain the militant GOP while helping the U.S. face global warming and more is to expand democracy—not the national security state. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, "How to Fight Climate Change and Fascists at the Same Time," 14 Jan. 2021 During the pandemic, those calls have been eye-opening regarding the financial challenges, family struggles and traumatic experiences some students face. — Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News, "Soldotna teachers hope a return to in-school classes will help bridge a distance-learning divide," 13 Jan. 2021 And if Congress doesn’t move on, adds the two-page memo shown below in full, those who push for impeachment may face a voter backlash in the 2022 midterm elections. — Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, "Exclusive: 60% call impeachment a ‘waste of time,’ Big Tech backlash for censoring Trump," 12 Jan. 2021 Players traded from a U.S. city to a Canadian city face a potential 14-day quarantine. — Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, "The NHL is set for a strange season. Here's why it will be among the most unusual in history.," 12 Jan. 2021 As the pandemic stretches on, the struggles restaurants face grow more severe. — Ian Mcnulty | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Uptown bistro Carrollton Market closed for good after pandemic ‘crushes a chef’s spirit’," 11 Jan. 2021 Individuals denied that funding for trying to undermine the election could face additional political pushback. — Jim Spencer And Star Tribune, Star Tribune, "Best Buy suspends donations to Congressional members who voted against certifying election," 11 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'face.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

19 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for face

face

noun

English Language Learners Definition of face

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the front part of the head that has the eyes, nose, and mouth on it

: a facial expression

: the way something appears when it is first seen or thought about

face

verb

English Language Learners Definition of face (Entry 2 of 2)

: to stand or sit with your face and body turned toward (something or someone)

: to have the front part toward (something)

: to be on the page that is opposite to (another page)

See the full definition for face in the English Language Learners Dictionary

face

noun

\ ˈfās

Kids Definition of face

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the front part of the head

2 : an expression of the face a sad face

3 : outward appearance It looks easy on the face of it.

4 : a funny or silly expression

5 : an expression showing displeasure

6 : respect entry 1 sense 1 He was afraid of losing face.

7 : a front, upper, or outer surface

8 : one of the flat surfaces that bound a solid a face of a cube

face

verb

faced; facing

Kids Definition of face (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to have the front or face toward The house faces east.

2 : to cover the front or surface of The building will be faced with marble.

3 : to oppose with determination face danger

face

noun, often attributive

\ ˈfās

Medical Definition of face

1a : 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

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face

noun

Legal Definition of face

1a : 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

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