Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):
   • To contort or twist one's facial features, typically to express a strong feeling such as dislike, disgust, pain, or displeasure. It is a deliberate, often exaggerated, facial expression.

Usage

• This phrase is used to describe the action of changing one's facial expression to non-verbally communicate a negative reaction or emotion.
• It is commonly used in informal contexts.
• It can be followed by the preposition "at" to indicate the cause or target of the expression (e.g., "make a face at the food").

Examples

• Verb:
  • The child made a face when he tasted the bitter medicine.
  • Don't make a face at your sister; it's not polite.
  • She couldn't help but make a face when she smelled the spoiled milk.

Advanced Usage

• "make faces": A common variant using the plural form, with the same meaning.

  • The students were making faces at each other behind the teacher's back.

• "make a funny face": A specific type of face intended to be humorous or silly, rather than expressing disgust.

  • The clown made a funny face to make the children laugh.

Variants and Related Words

• Grimace (verb/noun): A very close synonym, specifically a sharp contortion of the face often expressing pain, disgust, or disapproval.
  • He grimaced as he tightened the bandage.
• Pout (verb/noun): To push out one's lips, especially to show annoyance or in an attempt to look sexually attractive. It expresses a different, often sulky, emotion.
• Scowl (verb/noun): To frown in an angry or bad-tempered way.

Synonyms

• Grimace
• Pull a face (chiefly British English)
• Frown (specifically for a displeased or concentrated expression)

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(This term is a fixed phrase, not typically analyzed as a phrasal verb with separable components.)

Related Idioms

• "Make (or pull) a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp": (British, humorous) To make a very sour, disgusted, or unpleasant face.
  • He took one sip of the drink and made a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp.

Verb

1. contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state
   • He grimaced when he saw the amount of homework he had to do