Meaning & use
keep face
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Meaning
phraseidiom
to avoid embarrassment or loss of respect in front of others
Grammar: Used without an object, often after 'try to' or 'in order to'.
Patterns
- keep face
- try to keep face
He apologized quickly to keep face after the mistake.
She tried to keep face by laughing off the criticism.
In some cultures, it is important to keep face during negotiations.
Common combinations
- try to keep face
- He tried to keep face by pretending he hadn't heard the comment.
- keep face in front of others
- She managed to keep face in front of her colleagues.
- a way to keep face
- Offering a small concession was a way to keep face.
Synonyms and how they differ
- save face
- This is more common and means to avoid humiliation, often by doing something; 'keep face' focuses on maintaining respect over time.
- maintain dignity
- This is a more formal, general phrase; 'keep face' is specific to social reputation in a group.
Opposites
Commonly confused: keep face or save face?
keep face vs save face
Both mean avoiding embarrassment, but 'save face' is used when you do something to escape a shameful situation, while 'keep face' is about maintaining your reputation continuously.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'keep face' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option B correctly uses 'keep face' to mean avoid embarrassment. Option A uses 'face' as a verb with an object, which is a different meaning. Option C is ungrammatical with 'to'. Option D confuses 'keep face' with 'keep a promise'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keep face”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.