Collocations for face - noun
1. front part of the head
ADJ.
angelic, beautiful, handsome, lovely, pleasant, pretty, sweet | plain, ugly, terrible | colourless, grey, pale, pallid, white | flushed, pink, red, ruddy
Her face was flushed after her run.
Her face was flushed after her run.
tanned | dark | sallow | heart-shaped, oval, round, square | bearded, freckled, unshaven | lined, wrinkled | pock-marked, raddled | fat, plump
She had a plump, pretty face.
She had a plump, pretty face.
gaunt, haggard, lean, pinched, thin, wizened | craggy, rugged
a craggy face with deep-set eyes and bushy brows
a craggy face with deep-set eyes and bushy brows
elfin
Her short hair suited her elfin face.
Her short hair suited her elfin face.
painted | happy, smiling | tear-stained, tear-streaked | human
VERB + FACE
tilt, turn
She turned her face away. | He tilted her face up to his.
She turned her face away. | He tilted her face up to his.
FACE + VERB
look, peer, stare
A face peered round the door at him.
A face peered round the door at him.
PREP.
in the/sb''s ~
The ball hit him in the face. | His eyes were sunken in his gaunt face.
The ball hit him in the face. | His eyes were sunken in his gaunt face.
on the/sb''s ~
She put some powder on her face.
She put some powder on her face.
PHRASES
a sea of faces
(= a large crowd of faces) From the stage, he looked down at a sea of faces.
(= a large crowd of faces) From the stage, he looked down at a sea of faces.
2. expression on sb''s face
ADJ.
animated, cheerful, friendly, grinning, happy, radiant, smiling | anxious, frightened, troubled | angry, furious | hard, set, stern
His face was set and hard.
His face was set and hard.
grave, serious | long, sad
The news for the company isn''t good, judging from the long faces in the boardroom.
The news for the company isn''t good, judging from the long faces in the boardroom.
funny
She made a funny face and gave a snorting sort of laugh.
She made a funny face and gave a snorting sort of laugh.
honest, kind | expectant | rapt | expressive, open
She looked at the honest, open face of her husband.
She looked at the honest, open face of her husband.
blank, expressionless, impassive
His face remained impassive, so strong was his self-control.
His face remained impassive, so strong was his self-control.
VERB + FACE
make, pull
What are you pulling a face at now?
What are you pulling a face at now?
search
He searched her face for some clue as to what she meant.
He searched her face for some clue as to what she meant.
FACE + VERB
brighten, glow, light up
Her little face lit up when I gave her the present.
Her little face lit up when I gave her the present.
beam, smile
The face smiled benignly at him.
The face smiled benignly at him.
cloud, crumple, drop, fall
Her face crumpled and she started crying. | ‘I can''t come,’ she said. His face fell.
Her face crumpled and she started crying. | ‘I can''t come,’ she said. His face fell.
clear
His face cleared and she smiled back.
His face cleared and she smiled back.
darken, harden, set
Her face darkened with anger. | His face set in grim lines.
Her face darkened with anger. | His face set in grim lines.
soften
The father''s face softened as he hugged his little boy.
The father''s face softened as he hugged his little boy.
flame, flush, go red, redden
Jack''s face flushed with embarrassment.
Jack''s face flushed with embarrassment.
pale
Her face paled with fright.
Her face paled with fright.
contort, crease, pucker, tighten, twist
Her face contorted in pain.
Her face contorted in pain.
betray sth, reveal sth
Her face betrayed no emotion at all.
Her face betrayed no emotion at all.
PREP.
on sb''s ~
She had a bigsmile on her face.
She had a bigsmile on her face.
PHRASES
a face like thunder
(= a very angry face) Mr Hibbs came in with a face like thunder.
(= a very angry face) Mr Hibbs came in with a face like thunder.
3. front part/side of sth
ADJ.
front, rear | North, South, etc. | steep
We slowly climbed the steep face of the crag.
We slowly climbed the steep face of the crag.
cliff, rock | clock
PHRASES
face down/downwards, face up/upwards
She placed the cards face downwards on the table.
She placed the cards face downwards on the table.
4. person
ADJ.
familiar, (same) old
I looked around for a familiar face. | I''m so bored with seeing the same old faces!
I looked around for a familiar face. | I''m so bored with seeing the same old faces!
different, fresh, new, strange, unfamiliar | famous, well-known
a restaurant where you often see famous faces
a restaurant where you often see famous faces
VERB + FACE
see
5. particular character/aspect of sth
ADJ.
human
bureaucracy with a human face
bureaucracy with a human face
acceptable | unacceptable
Social deprivation is the unacceptable face of capitalism.
Social deprivation is the unacceptable face of capitalism.
true | changing
the changing face of Britain
the changing face of Britain