face
/feɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /feɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfās/ (ame, mw)
face — noun
1. the front side of a person's head, spanning from the hairline down past the eyeb
the front side of a person's head, spanning from the hairline down past the eyebrows, nose, and mouth, with the chin at the bottom
Chidi wiped the sweat from his face after the long run.
collocation: wipe [something] from your face
The baby's face lit up when she saw her mother enter the room.
collocation: face lit up (showing happiness)
Putri has a small scar on the right side of her face from a fall.
A warm smile spread across the old man's wrinkled face.
Wearing a helmet protects your face during a bike accident.
- features
more formal, often plural, refers to the individual parts of the face
- back of the head
the opposite side of the head
用法筆記
Can be used with possessive determiners (my face, his face) and with the definite article (the face). Frequently described with adjectives: round face, thin face, familiar face.
常見錯誤
2. someone's facial appearance at a given moment, which reveals their inner mood or
someone's facial appearance at a given moment, which reveals their inner mood or emotion
Takeshi had a puzzled face when he heard the strange question.
collocation: [adjective] face (puzzled face / happy face)
The teacher's angry face told the class they were in trouble.
Olivia put on a brave face even though she felt very nervous inside.
I could tell from his serious face that the news was bad.
The children's happy faces showed how excited they were about the trip.
- expression
broader term, can also refer to the voice or eyes
- look
more informal, similar meaning
用法筆記
Often used with adjectives that describe emotion (happy face, sad face, angry face, serious face). The phrase 'put on a [adjective] face' means to show a feeling you may not truly have.
3. a twisted or unusual expression of the mouth and eyes that shows you dislike som
a twisted or unusual expression of the mouth and eyes that shows you dislike something or want to be funny
The little boy made a funny face when his mother gave him the medicine.
phrase: make a face / pull a face
Jude pulled a disgusted face after tasting the sour lemon.
phrase: pull a [adjective] face
Instead of answering, Mateo just made a silly face and everyone laughed.
Lien made a disgusted face when her mother offered her a bowl of cold soup.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the phrases 'make a face' or 'pull a face'. The adjective describes the type of expression: funny face, silly face, disgusted face, etc.
4. the front or outer side of an object, building, or natural structure
the front or outer side of an object, building, or natural structure
The northern face of the mountain is too steep for climbing in winter.
collocation: face of [mountain/cliff/building]
Workers cleaned the stone face of the old cathedral last spring.
Cracks appeared on the face of the dam after the heavy earthquake.
The southeast face of the building gets direct sunlight all morning.
- back
the opposite side
用法筆記
Commonly used with 'of' to specify which object. Often found in geographical contexts (cliff face, mountain face) and architectural contexts (building face, wall face).
5. the round, flat surface on a time-keeping device where numerals, marks, and movi
the round, flat surface on a time-keeping device where numerals, marks, and moving indicators display the hour and minute
Élise checked the face of her watch to see if she was late for the meeting.
collocation: face of a watch/clock
The old clock had a white face with black Roman numerals.
Dust had collected on the face of the grandfather clock in the hallway.
The face of Amani's smartwatch showed a notification from her sister.
- dial
more specific, refers to the numbered plate
用法筆記
Most commonly used for traditional analog clocks and watches. For digital displays, 'screen' or 'display' are more common.
6. the level of respect and good reputation that a person has among others, especia
the level of respect and good reputation that a person has among others, especially in social or professional settings
The manager was more concerned about losing face than about the actual mistake.
idiom: lose face
A diplomatically worded apology allowed both sides to save face during the negotiation.
idiom: save face
In many cultures, preserving one's face is considered more important than winning an argument.
The diplomat offered a small compromise so the other party could save face and accept the deal.
- dignity
broader, refers to self-worth rather than social perception
- prestige
focuses on high status achieved through success
- reputation
what others think of you, not tied to specific phrases
- shame
loss of respect or honour
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in fixed phrases: 'lose face' (lose respect/dignity), 'save face' (avoid losing respect), 'face-saving' (adjective). More common in formal and literary contexts. Very important in cross-cultural communication, especially in East Asian business settings.
7. used with an adjective to describe a particular kind of person, especially with
used with an adjective to describe a particular kind of person, especially with regard to their appearance or role
A few new faces joined the team after the company restructuring.
phrase: new face(s) — new person/people joining
Emre is a familiar face at the local library; he goes there every Saturday.
phrase: familiar face — someone you know or recognise
The restaurant owner greeted every regular face by name at the door.
Lucía was the youngest face in the room full of senior managers.
用法筆記
Always preceded by an adjective (new, familiar, old, young, regular) or a possessive. Refers to the person as a whole, not literally their face. Common in workplace and social group contexts.
face — verb
1. to have a difficult or unpleasant situation that you must deal with
to have a difficult or unpleasant situation that you must deal with
Meera faced a difficult choice between studying abroad and staying with her family.
collocation: face a choice / decision / dilemma
Small businesses across the city face rising costs and fewer customers.
The hospital is facing a shortage of nurses this winter.
When the earthquake struck, the rescue team faced huge challenges getting to the remote village.
The hardest thing a young doctor can face is losing a patient.
- avoid
to stay away from a problem
文法句型
face + noun phrase (problem/difficulty/challenge)
用法筆記
The subject can be either a person or an organisation (company, hospital, government). The object is typically something negative: problem, challenge, difficulty, crisis, shortage, dilemma. NOT used in passive voice in this sense (we say 'the problem faces us', not 'we are faced by the problem').
常見錯誤
2. to stop denying an uncomfortable reality and start responding to it in an honest
to stop denying an uncomfortable reality and start responding to it in an honest way
Hyun had to face the fact that his business was not going to succeed.
pattern: face the fact that [clause]
We need to face reality and accept that the project will take longer than expected.
collocation: face reality / face facts
Christopher could not face telling his parents that he had lost the scholarship.
Maria finally faced the truth about her partner's dishonesty and ended the relationship.
- accept
less emotional, does not carry the same weight of difficulty
- acknowledge
more formal, often public
文法句型
face + verb-ing
face + the fact that ...
用法筆記
Often used with 'can't / could not' to express emotional difficulty: 'I can't face another argument' or 'She couldn't face going back to work.' The object is frequently a that-clause introduced by 'the fact that' or a gerund (-ing form). This sense implies emotional effort, unlike sense 1 which is more neutral.
3. to feel that a task or event is so unpleasant that you lack the emotional streng
to feel that a task or event is so unpleasant that you lack the emotional strength to deal with it
After the long flight, Tamar could not face another hour of meetings.
pattern: can't face + noun phrase
Stephanie could not face cleaning the entire house by herself over the weekend.
I can't face listening to another long speech about company rules.
Harper simply could not face the thought of starting the whole project again from scratch.
- dread
stronger, implies fear and anxiety about the future
- not be able to bear
more emphatic
- look forward to
to be excited about something
文法句型
cannot face + noun
cannot face + verb-ing
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'can't', 'couldn't', or 'cannot' in negative or interrogative sentences. The structure 'I can't face it' is very common in everyday spoken English. The 'it' refers to a previously mentioned task or situation. This sense differs from sense 2 in that it focuses on the emotional inability (too unpleasant) rather than on accepting a truth.
常見錯誤
4. to deal directly with someone in a difficult or confrontational situation, witho
to deal directly with someone in a difficult or confrontational situation, without avoiding them
Amani decided she had to face her manager and discuss the unfair workload.
pattern: face + person (to confront)
It takes courage to face a bully and tell them to stop.
The committee members were too nervous to face the angry residents at the public hearing.
Sade knew she had to face her brother about the money he had borrowed without asking.
- confront
more direct and potentially aggressive
- stand up to
phrasal verb, suggests resisting someone more powerful
文法句型
face + person/situation
用法筆記
This sense is more formal than senses 1-3. It implies direct, personal confrontation — you are speaking to or dealing with the person causing the difficulty. The object is typically a person or group rather than an abstract concept.
5. to turn the front of your body or an object towards a particular direction or pe
to turn the front of your body or an object towards a particular direction or person; to be positioned looking at something
Please face the front of the classroom while the teacher is explaining the lesson.
pattern: face + direction
The living room window faces south, so the room stays warm all afternoon.
Esteban turned around to face the person who had called his name.
The hotel rooms on the top floor face the ocean directly.
Visitors sat on a bench facing the lake and watched the sunset.
- look towards
used for people, not for buildings
- overlook
implies a view from above, used for buildings and windows
- face away from
to have one's back to something
文法句型
face + direction/preposition
face + object
用法筆記
Can be used intransitively without an object ('the house faces south') or transitively with an object ('she faced the wall'). The subject can be a person, building, window, camera, or any object with a clear front side. Common with compass directions (north, south) and landmarks (the sea, the park, the street).
常見錯誤
6. to add a new outer layer onto the front side of a structure or object, typically
to add a new outer layer onto the front side of a structure or object, typically using stone, brick, or another material
The old brick wall was faced with local grey stone to match the modern extension.
passive: be faced with [material]
The entrance hall is faced entirely with polished black granite.
The kitchen counter was faced with beautiful white marble tiles.
The wooden cabinets have been faced with a thin layer of oak veneer.
- strip
to remove the outer layer
文法句型
be faced with [material]
用法筆記
Most commonly used in the passive voice ('is faced with', 'was faced with'). The material used for covering comes after 'with'. Very specific to construction, architecture, and interior design contexts. Unlikely to be needed by general learners below C1.
7. to meet and compete against an opponent or opposing team in a game, contest, or
to meet and compete against an opponent or opposing team in a game, contest, or conflict
The Taiwanese baseball team will face Japan in the championship final on Sunday.
pattern: face + opponent in competition
Sade prepared carefully for weeks before facing her rival in the chess tournament.
The two candidates will face each other in a live debate next Tuesday evening.
After defeating three strong opponents, the team now faces the league champions.
- play against
less formal, specific to sports
- take on
informal, suggests a challenge
- meet
neutral, common in sports
- avoid
to stay away from competition
文法句型
face + opponent/team
用法筆記
Common in sports reporting, political debates, and competition contexts. The object is the opponent, team, or rival. Can also be used in military contexts ('face the enemy'). Frequently seen in news headlines and sports commentary.