Meaning & use
lip curls
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Meaning
nounplural
A movement of the upper lip curling up, showing disgust or scorn.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural; often in the phrase 'with a lip curl' or 'lip curls'.
Patterns
- with a lip curl
- a lip curl of disgust
- give a lip curl
She looked at the mess with a lip curl of disgust.
His lip curls showed exactly what he thought of the idea.
The teacher's lip curl told us she was not impressed.
Common combinations
- lip curl of disgust
- He gave a lip curl of disgust at the smell.
- with a lip curl
- She said 'how lovely' with a lip curl.
- slight lip curl
- There was a slight lip curl on his face when he heard the news.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sneer
- A sneer is a broader expression of scorn, often including a smile or sound, while a lip curl is just the lip movement.
- grimace
- A grimace shows pain or discomfort, not necessarily scorn.
Opposites
Commonly confused: lip curls or curl?
lip curls vs curl
Curl alone can mean a curved piece of hair; 'lip curls' specifically refers to the lip movement.
Practice
Choose the sentence where 'lip curls' is used correctly:
Choose one answer.
Lip curls are a facial expression of disgust or scorn, so 'revealed his contempt' fits. Option An is wrong because lip curls are not something you brush. Option B is wrong because it's not a physical thing you show to a dentist. Option D is wrong because lip curls are not food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lip curls”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.