brave face

Meaning

1. 1nounsingularfigurative

   An outward show of courage or cheerfulness that hides how scared, sad or worried a person really feels.

   Grammar: Usually singular with 'a': put on a brave face, not 'put on brave faces' unless several people are involved.

   Patterns

   • put on a brave face
   • wear a brave face

   She put on a brave face for the children, though she was terrified.

   He managed a brave face as the results were read out.

   The team wore a brave face after the heavy defeat.

Word forms

Common combinations

put on a brave face

I put on a brave face and walked into the interview.

wear a brave face

He wore a brave face at the funeral.

keep up a brave face

It is hard to keep up a brave face for so long.

manage a brave face

She managed a brave face despite her disappointment.

show a brave face

The captain showed a brave face to reporters.

Synonyms and how they differ

stiff upper lip

Stiff upper lip is a British idiom about not showing emotion at all, while a brave face shows a cheerful look that covers the feelings.

game face

Game face is mainly American and means a serious look of readiness before a challenge, not a cover for sadness.

poker face

A poker face hides every feeling, whereas a brave face deliberately shows courage or optimism.

front

Front is a more general word for a false outward appearance and does not suggest courage.

Opposites

Word family

brave adjective

ready to face danger or pain

bravely adverb

in a courageous way

bravery noun

courage when facing danger

face noun

the front of the head, or an outward expression

Commonly confused: brave face or brave front?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “brave face”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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