clean-shaven
Adjective: - Closely shaved recently: Having the hair on one's face, especially the beard and mustache, completely removed by shaving, resulting in a smooth appearance. This describes the state of a person's face after a recent and thorough shave.
This adjective is used to describe a person, specifically a man, whose face shows no visible facial hair because it has been recently and completely shaved. It often implies a neat, well-groomed, or professional appearance. - It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like 'be' or 'look'). - It is a compound adjective, often hyphenated.
- Attributive use (before a noun):
- He has a clean-shaven face.
- The company policy requires all employees to maintain a clean-shaven look.
- Predicative use (after a linking verb):
- For the interview, he made sure he was clean-shaven.
- The actor looks completely different when he's clean-shaven.
- Implied Contrast: The term often carries an implied contrast with having a beard, mustache, or stubble.
- After months with a beard, he returned to work clean-shaven.
- Descriptive in Narratives: Commonly used in descriptive writing to quickly establish a character's grooming.
- The detective was a tall man with a clean-shaven, serious face.
- Shaven (adj.): An older or more formal synonym meaning "shaved." "Clean-shaven" is more specific and common in modern usage.
- Smooth-shaven (adj.): A less common variant with the same meaning as "clean-shaven."
- Beardless (adj.): Describing a face that naturally lacks or is without a beard, not necessarily due to recent shaving.
- Unshaven (adj.): The direct antonym, meaning not shaved; having stubble or a beard.
- Freshly shaved
- Smooth-faced
- Close-shaved
- Unshaven
- Bearded
- Stubbly
- Bristly
Note: "Clean-shaven" itself is not typically part of a larger phrasal verb or idiom. Its meaning is direct and literal. - To have a clean-shaven appearance: To present oneself with a smoothly shaved face. - He believes having a clean-shaven appearance makes him look more professional.
- closely shaved recently