faceless

/ˈfeɪsləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfeɪsləs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfās-ləs/ (ame, mw)

faceless — adjective

  • facelesspositive
  • more facelesscomparative
  • most facelesssuperlative

1. without any noticeable features or personality that would make someone or someth

1.形容詞B2
釋義

without any noticeable features or personality that would make someone or something easy to recognise or remember as an individual

例句

The immigration officer processed passport after passport, each with a faceless photo and a barcode.

faceless photo — official document context

Large hotel chains often feel like faceless organisations that never recognise returning guests.

同義詞
  • anonymous

    more neutral; can describe an intentional choice to hide one's name, whereas faceless implies involuntary loss of identity

  • nondescript

    focuses on visual plainness rather than lack of personal identity

  • nameless

    similar but often carries a literary or ominous tone (nameless fears)

反義詞
  • distinctive

    emphasises positive recognisability and individual character

  • recognisable

    focuses on the ability to identify someone as a unique individual

文法句型

faceless + noun

be + faceless

用法筆記

Frequently used with nouns describing organisations, groups, or systems (bureaucracy, corporation, crowd, institution) to highlight a lack of personal identity or human warmth. Can be attributive (a faceless bureaucracy) or predicative (the system felt faceless). Almost always carries a negative or critical tone.

常見錯誤

❌The shy new student felt faceless at the party.
✅The shy new student felt invisible at the party.
💡'Faceless' implies being part of an anonymous mass system, not just being unnoticed in a social setting.

2. physically lacking a face — used when describing statues, drawings, mannequins,

2.形容詞C1
釋義

physically lacking a face — used when describing statues, drawings, mannequins, dolls, or other objects that are missing facial features such as eyes, a nose, or a mouth

例句

The museum curator gently cleaned a faceless marble statue from the fourth century.

faceless marble statue — literal, art historical context

A faceless mannequin in the window wore a long white dress and a gold necklace.

同義詞
  • featureless

    broader; describes anything without distinguishing marks, not just a face

  • blank

    emphasises an empty, expressionless surface rather than the absence of a face

反義詞
  • faced

    rare; used mainly in technical descriptions of objects with a visible face or dial

文法句型

faceless + noun

be + faceless

用法筆記

Describes objects or beings that physically have no face — most commonly statues, mannequins, dolls, puppets, or figures in dreams and horror narratives. This literal sense is much less frequent in everyday conversation than the metaphorical sense (ANONYMOUS).

常見錯誤

❌The old building was faceless because all the windows were broken.
✅The statue was faceless because the sculptor had not carved any eyes or a mouth.
💡'Faceless' refers literally to lacking a face, not to being damaged or lacking general features.