Meaning & use
countenance
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Meanings
nouncountableformalliterary
The look on a person's face, which shows their mood or character; also the face itself.
Grammar: Usually singular: her calm countenance, not several countenances for one person.
Patterns
- a calm/stern countenance
- someone's countenance falls
The judge kept a stern countenance throughout the trial.
His countenance brightened when he saw his old friend at the door.
She studied the stranger's countenance for any sign of worry.
verbtransitiveformal
To accept something or allow it to happen, especially something you do not really like.
Grammar: Takes an object and is mostly used in negatives: she would not countenance cheating.
Patterns
- countenance something
- not countenance someone doing something
The school will not countenance bullying of any kind.
My father would never countenance such rude behavior at the dinner table.
The board refused to countenance a pay cut for the staff.
Word forms
| plural | countenances |
|---|---|
| third person singular | countenances |
| past tense | countenanced |
| -ing form | countenancing |
Common combinations
- a stern countenance
- The teacher wore a stern countenance as she handed back the tests.
- keep your countenance
- He struggled to keep his countenance while the clown tripped over the rug.
- lose countenance
- She lost countenance when the reporter asked about the missing money.
- not countenance a suggestion
- The manager would not countenance any suggestion of closing early.
- a cheerful countenance
- Despite the bad news, he kept a cheerful countenance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- expression
- Expression is the everyday word for the look on a face, while countenance sounds old-fashioned and suggests the whole character shown by the face.
- face
- Face names the physical part of the head, whereas countenance focuses on what the face reveals.
- tolerate
- Tolerate is neutral and common in speech, while countenance as a verb is stiffer and usually appears in refusals.
- condone
- Condone suggests forgiving or overlooking wrongdoing, whereas countenance simply means allowing something to go on.
Opposites
Word family
- countenanced verb
- past form meaning allowed or approved of
- uncountenanced adjective
- not approved of or permitted (rare)
- discountenance verb
- to disapprove of or discourage (formal, rare)
Commonly confused: countenance or council? countenance or encounter?
countenance vs council
A council is a group of people who govern or advise; it has nothing to do with faces or approval.
countenance vs encounter
Encounter means to meet or come across; countenance is about a facial look or about allowing something.
Practice
Which sentence uses the verb 'countenance' correctly?
Choose one answer.
As a verb, countenance means to allow or tolerate and takes an object, often in a negative sentence. The other options misuse it as a noun or as a verb meaning 'meet'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “countenance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.