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

1. having a dirty face
   • a crowd of dirty-faced ragamuffins surrounded him