face-saving

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Done to stop someone from feeling embarrassed or losing the respect of others.

   Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes: a face-saving solution. It is not usually used after a verb.

   Patterns

   • a face-saving solution
   • a face-saving excuse
   • a face-saving way out

   They offered him a face-saving excuse so he could leave the meeting without admitting he was wrong.

   The company found a face-saving way to cancel the project without blaming anyone.

   She made a face-saving joke about forgetting his name.

2. 2noununcountable

   The act of protecting someone from embarrassment or loss of respect.

   Grammar: Used without an or an and without a plural: Face-saving mattered more than honesty.

   Patterns

   • face-saving for someone
   • a matter of face-saving

   For the minister, the apology was pure face-saving.

   The whole meeting was about face-saving, not about solving the problem.

Common combinations

a face-saving compromise

Both sides accepted a face-saving compromise to end the strike.

a face-saving gesture

Sending flowers was a face-saving gesture after the argument.

a face-saving exit

The manager needed a face-saving exit from the failed deal.

purely face-saving

His explanation sounded purely face-saving.

Synonyms and how they differ

diplomatic

Diplomatic means tactful in general; face-saving focuses specifically on protecting someone's dignity.

conciliatory

Conciliatory means trying to end a disagreement; face-saving is about avoiding embarrassment.

Opposites

Word family

save face phrase

To avoid embarrassment or loss of respect.

loss of face phrase

The embarrassment or shame that comes from being proved wrong in public.

Commonly confused: face-saving or face value?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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