face
gb/fˈeɪs/ us/fˈeɪs/
A1
English
~ 700
arc, fordul, néz, szembenéz, oldal, felület, számlap, tekintély, presztízs
NOUN
A1
1
arc
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s face
She had a big smile on her face.
Széles mosoly ült az arcán.
His face turned red when he was embarrassed.
Elvörösödött az arca, amikor zavarba jött.
I recognized her face immediately.
The wind was cold against my face.
Learner examples
I wash my face every morning.
Minden reggel megmosom az arcomat.
He has a happy face.
Vidám arca van.
Her face is very beautiful.
The baby touched my face.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'face' with 'head'. The 'face' is only the front part, not the whole head.
Meaning
Front part of the head
Collocations
wash your face
|smiling face
|serious face
|face to face
|turn your face
Synonyms
visage (More formal or literary term for face.)
Themes
body
|appearance
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The front part of your head with your eyes, nose, and mouth.
The front part of a person's head from the forehead to the chin, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
VERB
A2
2
Usage pattern:
to face [someone/something]
Please face the audience when you speak.
Kérem, beszéd közben forduljon a közönség felé.
The house faces the sea.
A ház a tengerre néz.
They faced each other across the table.
Learner examples
Face the teacher when you talk.
Fordulj a tanár felé, amikor beszélsz.
The building faces the park.
Az épület a parkra néz.
She faced her friend and smiled.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'face' (to turn toward) with 'look at'. 'Face' can describe position, not just seeing.
Meaning
Turn toward something/someone
Collocations
face the camera
|face each other
|face the front
Synonyms
confront (Implies meeting something directly, often difficult or unpleasant.)
Antonyms
turn away (Means to move so that you are no longer facing something.)
Themes
movement
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To look at or be turned toward someone or something.
To turn toward or have the front pointing in the direction of someone or something.
VERB
B1
3
szembenéz
B2
Usage pattern:
to face [a problem/challenge/truth]
We must face the fact that we made a mistake.
Szembe kell néznünk azzal a ténnyel, hogy hibáztunk.
She faced many challenges in her career.
Sok kihívással nézett szembe a pályafutása során.
He needs to face his fears.
Learner examples
I must face my problem.
Szembe kell néznem a problémámmal.
She faces many problems at work.
Sok problémával néz szembe a munkahelyén.
He faces his fear of flying.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with physically turning toward something. Here it means dealing with something abstract.
Meaning
Deal with a problem or challenge
Collocations
face reality
|face the truth
|face difficulties
Synonyms
confront (Similar but often stronger in tone; emphasizes direct encounter.)
Antonyms
avoid (Means to try not to meet or deal with something.)
Themes
emotions
|life challenges
|core_vocabulary
|work
Definition
To try to deal with something bad or hard.
To confront and try to deal with an unpleasant or difficult situation.
NOUN
B1
4
Usage pattern:
the face of [something]
The north face of the mountain is covered in snow.
A hegy északi oldalát hó borítja.
The clock face was beautifully decorated.
Az óra számlapja gyönyörűen volt díszítve.
The house has a glass face overlooking the garden.
Learner examples
The clock face shows the time.
Az óra számlapja mutatja az időt.
We climbed the rock face.
Megmásztuk a sziklafalat.
The front face of the building is red.
Meaning
Outward surface of an object
Collocations
the face of a building
|clock face
|mountain face
Synonyms
surface (A general term for the outside layer; not limited to the main side.)
Themes
objects
|geometry
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The outside part of something that you can see.
The outside surface of an object, especially one that is seen as its main side.
NOUN
B2
5
He lied to save face.
Azért hazudott, hogy megőrizze a tekintélyét.
She felt she would lose face if she admitted she was wrong.
Úgy érezte, hogy elveszítené a tekintélyét, ha beismerné, hogy tévedett.
The company took action to keep face after the scandal.
Learner examples
He lied to save face.
Azért hazudott, hogy megőrizze a tekintélyét.
She lost face after the mistake.
A hiba után tekintélyt vesztett.
They want to keep face in front of friends.
Meaning
Reputation or dignity before others
Collocations
save face
|lose face
Synonyms
honor (Emphasizes moral integrity as well as social respect.)
Antonyms
disgrace (Loss of respect or honor in others' eyes.)
Themes
emotions
|society
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
How people see and respect you in society.
A person's standing, respect, or honor in the opinion of others, especially in social contexts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
face
IPA
GB/fˈeɪs/
US/fˈeɪs/
Syllables & stress
face (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (face)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: face
- Plural: face, faces
Verb
- Base: face
- 3rd Person Singular: faces
- Present Participle: facing
- Past: faced
Word family
Forms
faces
noun
facing
verb
faced
verb
Core family
facial
adjective B2
Related words
facially
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
faceless
adjective
Advanced or less common
deface
verb
defacement
noun
Expressions
face to face
1/fˈeɪs tə fˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
In each other's presence directly
Close to and looking at another person directly.
Examples
- We finally met face to face after years of online friendship.
- The two leaders sat face to face during talks.
face up to [something]
1/fˈeɪs ˈʌp tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
Confront and accept difficulty/problem
To accept and deal with something bad or hard.
Examples
- You must face up to your responsibilities.
- He finally faced up to the truth about his health.
in the face of [something]
1/ˈɪn ðə fˈeɪs əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
While confronting difficulty/threats
When something happens even though there is a problem or danger.
Examples
- She stayed calm in the face of danger.
- In the face of criticism, he continued his work.
save face
1/sˈeɪv fˈeɪs/
idiom
Avoid loss of dignity/respect
To do something so people still respect you after a bad situation.
Examples
- She apologized quickly to save face.
- They reached a compromise to save face on both sides.
lose face
1/lˈuz fˈeɪs/
idiom
Suffer loss of respect publicly
To be less respected by others because of what happened.
Examples
- He didn’t want to admit he was wrong and lose face.
- He didn't want to lose face by admitting his mistake.
- The politician risked losing face by changing his position.
- The politician lost face after the scandal.