face the truth

face the truth — idiom

1. to stop avoiding an unpleasant reality and begin to deal with it honestly

1.idiomB2
Definition

to stop avoiding an unpleasant reality and begin to deal with it honestly

Example

After the doctor's report, Heloísa finally faced the truth about her health.

face the truth about [something]

Pedro knew his business was failing but he refused to face the truth.

Common collocations
  • face the truth
  • refuse to face the truth
  • time to face the truth
  • finally face the truth
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

face the truth about [something]

face the truth that [clause]

Usage Note

Commonly used when someone has been avoiding or denying a painful fact. The object of 'about' is typically a difficult situation or personal flaw.

Common Mistakes

He faced the truth to the judge during the trial.
He told the truth to the judge during the trial.
'face the truth' means to accept a hard reality, not to speak honestly in a formal setting.
She faced the truth that she failed the exam by crying all night.
She faced the truth that she failed the exam and looked for a study group.
the phrase implies taking action to deal with the situation, not just reacting emotionally.

Synonym discussion

Sense: idiom/1

All four expressions describe acknowledging something difficult, but they differ in emotional weight and focus. 'Face the truth' is the most direct and confrontational — it suggests the person has been actively avoiding reality. 'Accept reality' is broader and calmer, used for everyday disappointments as well as serious setbacks. 'Come to terms with' implies a longer emotional process of making peace with a situation. 'Face facts' is more informal and often used in work or practical settings ('Let's face facts — we need a new strategy'). Example: 'Maria finally faced the truth about her marriage,' but 'after months of therapy she came to terms with the divorce.'

face the truth ↗accept realitycome to terms withface facts ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The verb 'face' has been used since the 15th century to mean 'to confront or oppose boldly', derived from the literal sense of turning one's face toward something. The noun 'truth' comes from Old English 'trīewþ' meaning 'faithfulness or reliability'. The collocation 'face the truth' became common in the 19th century as English developed more vocabulary for psychological and emotional confrontation.