face
face
Pronunciation
/feɪs/
face: /feɪs/
/feɪ/ - as in "fay"
/s/ - as in "ss" in "hiss"
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: face
Plural Noun: faces
Verb (base form): face
Verb (third-person singular present): faces
Verb (present participle): facing
Verb (past tense/past participle): faced
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The front part of the human or animal head, extending from the forehead to the chin, and including the eyes, nose, and mouth. This is the primary sensory and expressive region.
Synonyms: countenance, visage, mug (informal), physiognomy
Antonyms: back of head, nape
Definition 2: The observable surface of an object, especially one that is presented to view or is designated as a particular side.
Synonyms: surface, side, exterior, facade
Antonyms: interior, back, reverse
Definition 3: The public image or outward appearance presented by a person or organization, often in terms of reputation or respectability.
Synonyms: reputation, standing, prestige, image
Antonyms: disrepute, disgrace, anonymity
Verb
Definition 1: To turn or be positioned with the front towards a particular direction or person.
Synonyms: confront, front, look towards, oppose
Antonyms: turn away, avoid, evade
Definition 2: To deal with or confront a difficult situation, problem, or person directly and often bravely.
Synonyms: encounter, confront, tackle, brave, meet
Antonyms: avoid, shirk, evade, escape
Definition 3: To cover the surface of something with a different material.
Synonyms: clad, veneer, overlay, surface
Antonyms: strip, expose, uncover
Examples of Use
Books:
"He had a kind face, lined with the years of hard work, but his eyes still held a spark of youthful mischief." (From a fictional novel, author's name withheld for generality)
"The protagonist was forced to face the harsh realities of a war-torn world, shedding his naive idealism." (From a literary analysis of a novel)
Newspapers:
"The city's mayor vowed to face the challenges of urban development head-on, promising transparency and citizen involvement." (Daily Nation)
"New evidence emerged, putting a different face on the ongoing political scandal." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"Developers often face the dilemma of balancing innovation with user-friendly design in their software projects." (TechCrunch.com, article on software development)
"Social media algorithms are changing the face of marketing, allowing for more targeted advertising than ever before." (Forbes.com, business article)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: (Dialogue from a movie) "You need to face your fears, Luke. Only then can you truly be free." (Star Wars franchise)
Television Series: (Voiceover from a documentary) "The majestic lion, with its powerful face and piercing gaze, surveyed its savanna domain." (BBC Earth documentary)
Music (Song Lyrics): "And I can't erase the memory of your face." (Common lyrical theme in love songs)
Video Games: (In-game objective) "Your mission is to face the final boss and defeat him to save the kingdom." (Various RPGs)
Podcasts: "In this episode, we'll face the uncomfortable truth about climate change and discuss actionable steps." (Environmental podcast)
General Public Discourse:
"I just can't face going to work today; I'm exhausted." (Casual conversation between friends)
"The community united to put a brave face on the aftermath of the natural disaster." (Community meeting discussion)
"They need to face the music and accept the consequences of their actions." (Common idiom used in discussions about accountability)
"Can you believe the face on that guy when he realized he won the lottery?" (Excited remark)
10 Famous Quotes Using Face
"The only thing we have to face is fear itself." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
"Every man's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers." (Hans Christian Andersen, often interpreted as "Every man's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers, in which the hero must face many trials.")
"Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you." (Walt Whitman)
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." (Mahatma Gandhi, often interpreted as "You must be the change you wish to see in the world, and face the challenges head-on.")
"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are the ones that are difficult to achieve." (Oprah Winfrey, often interpreted as "When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are the ones that you had to face challenges to achieve.")
"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." (Edith Wharton, often implying the choice to face the world with light or reflect it)
"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." (Charles R. Swindoll, implying the choice to face circumstances with a positive attitude)
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood..." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"Behind every successful man there's a lot of unsuccessful years." (Bob Brown, implying the many challenges one must face)
"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." (Woodrow Wilson, implying that change often requires one to face opposition)
Etymology
The word "face" has a fascinating journey through different languages to reach its current meaning in English.
Imagine you're tracing its family tree backwards:
Back to Middle English: Our English word "face" comes from Middle English (roughly 1150-1500 AD). At this time, it already meant the "human face" and its "appearance" or "expression." The earliest known use in English, around 1300, appears in a religious text about Saint Thomas Becket, describing his "white and clear" face after a significant event.
From Old French: Before Middle English, "face" arrived from Old French ("face"), which also meant "face, countenance, look, appearance."
To Latin Roots: The Old French word itself came from Late Latin "facia," which was a re-formed version of the classical Latin word "faciēs."
The Original Latin Meaning: In Latin, "faciēs" had a broader meaning than just the human face. It primarily meant "appearance, form, figure." Over time, it also came to mean "visage" or "countenance" (the human face). The word "faciēs" likely developed from the Latin verb "facere," which means "to make" or "to do." So, the original idea was something like "that which is made" or "that which presents itself."
Initially, the main meaning of "face" was indeed the front part of the human head. However, even in Latin and Old French, it quickly expanded to include "the surface of something" (like "the face of the earth") and "outward appearance." The idea of "losing face" or "saving face," which relates to reputation, is a more recent development influenced by Chinese concepts of "mianzi" and "lian."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Face
Face the music: To accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
Lose face: To be humiliated or to lose respect.
Save face: To avoid humiliation or to preserve one's reputation.
In your face: Direct, aggressive, or defiant.
On the face of it: Based on outward appearance; seemingly.
To face facts: To accept the truth of a difficult situation.
To face up to something: To confront a difficult situation or person bravely.
To put a brave face on something: To pretend to be happy or confident when you are not.
A fresh face: A new person, especially one who brings new ideas.
To set one's face against something: To be strongly opposed to something.
To fly in the face of something: To be in direct opposition to something, often an established rule or idea.
Face-to-face: Directly confronting someone; in person.
To change the face of something: To completely alter the appearance or character of something.
At face value: Accepting something exactly as it appears to be, without further scrutiny.
A familiar face: Someone you recognize.
To have the face to do something: To be bold or audacious enough to do something, often something impolite.
To show one's face: To appear in public, often after an absence or in a difficult situation.
To make a face: To contort one's features into an expression of dislike or disgust.
The public face: The image or persona presented to the public.
To look someone in the face: To look directly at someone, often to show sincerity or to challenge them.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of face from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
