dirty-faced
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Having a dirty face: Describes a person, typically a child, whose face is visibly soiled or unclean.
Usage
This adjective is used attributively (before a noun) to describe the appearance of a person's face. It often implies a temporary state resulting from play, work, or lack of washing. * It is commonly used to describe children who have been playing outdoors. * It can be used literally or sometimes figuratively to suggest a scruffy, unkempt appearance.
Examples
- The mother sighed as her dirty-faced toddler came in from the garden.
- The photograph showed a group of dirty-faced miners emerging from the shaft.
- After the food fight, the classroom was full of dirty-faced, laughing children.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used in a descriptive, non-judgmental way ("the dirty-faced urchin grinned") or occasionally in a mildly disapproving one ("send that dirty-faced boy to wash up").
- It is sometimes used in literature or journalism to evoke a specific image of poverty, hard work, or childhood innocence.
Variants and Related Words
- Grubby-faced (adj.): Very similar in meaning, emphasizing dirt and grime.
- Soot-faced (adj.): Having a face blackened with soot.
- Mud-smeared (adj.): Having mud spread on the face.
Synonyms
- Grimy-faced
- Soiled-faced
- Unwashed
Antonyms
- Clean-faced
- Washed
- Fresh-faced
Adjective
- having a dirty face
- a crowd of dirty-faced ragamuffins surrounded him