grimace

CEFRC1

/ˈɡɹɪm.əs/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    An ugly facial expression showing pain or dislike.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Affectation, pretence.

Examples

  • Four-year-old Sam begrudgingly ate his broccoli with a grimace on his face.

  • Tom leant in to kiss Mary, but she recoiled with a grimace.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3

Also pronounced

  • /ɡɹɪˈmeɪs/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To make grimaces; to distort one's face; to make faces.

  2. A contorted facial expression, often expressing contempt or pain.

More examples

In context

  • Her face was twisted in a grimace of disgust.

  • I trundle off to bed, eyes brimming, face twisted into a grateful glistening grimace, and awaken the next day wondering what all the fuss was about.

  • Zeluco considered all this as mere affectation and grimace, and was convinced that she would, in due time, unfold the particular mode in which she wished to be indemnified […].

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

When he tasted the sour lemon, he began to blank in disgust.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From French grimace, from Middle French grimace, from Old French grimace, grimuche, from grime (“mask”) (with the pejorative suffix -ace, from Latin -āceus), from Frankish *grīma, *grīmō (“mask”), from Proto-Germanic *grīmô (“mask, helmet”). Cognate with Old English grīma (“mask, visor, helmet, spectre, apparition”). More at grime.