Meaning & use
bare-faced
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noundisapproving
showing no shame or embarrassment about doing something wrong or shocking
Grammar: Used before a noun: a bare-faced lie. Not usually after a verb.
Patterns
- a bare-faced lie
- a bare-faced cheek
He told a bare-faced lie to his boss and didn't even blush.
It was a bare-faced attempt to cheat the customers.
She called it bare-faced cheek when he asked for more money.
adjectivebefore a noun
with the face uncovered or bare
Grammar: Used before a noun; less common than the disapproving sense.
Patterns
- bare-faced children
The bare-faced children ran laughing through the sprinkler.
He stood bare-faced in the sun, without a hat.
Common combinations
- bare-faced lie
- Everyone knew it was a bare-faced lie.
- bare-faced cheek
- Asking for a discount after breaking it was bare-faced cheek.
- bare-faced robbery
- The price they charged was bare-faced robbery.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shameless
- Shameless describes a person who does not feel ashamed; bare-faced describes the act itself, especially a lie or cheeky behavior.
- blatant
- Blatant means very obvious and done without hiding; bare-faced adds the idea of no shame, and is often used with 'lie'.
- brazen
- Brazen is similar but often suggests bold, defiant behavior; bare-faced is more about a shocking lack of shame.
Opposites
Word family
- barefacedly adverb
- In a bare-faced way.
Commonly confused: bare-faced or bald-faced?
bare-faced vs bald-faced
Bald-faced is a variant used especially in American English for the same meaning, as in 'a bald-faced lie'. Bare-faced is more common in British English.
Practice
The company made a ______ attempt to hide the truth from its customers.
Choose one answer.
'Bare-faced' is the correct adjective before a noun, meaning shameless. 'Bare-face' is not a word, 'barely faced' has a different meaning, and 'bare facing' is not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bare-faced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.