Meaning & use
lip liner
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a cosmetic pencil or stick used to outline or shape the lips before applying lipstick
Grammar: Countable: a lip liner, two lip liners. Often written as two words.
Patterns
- apply lip liner
- use lip liner
- wear lip liner
She used a dark lip liner to define the shape of her lips.
I need to buy a new lip liner that matches my lipstick.
Apply lip liner before your lipstick to stop it from bleeding.
Word forms
| plural | lip liners |
|---|
Common combinations
- apply lip liner
- Apply lip liner carefully along the natural edge of your lips.
- a lip liner pencil
- She sharpened her lip liner pencil before using it.
- match your lip liner
- Try to match your lip liner to your lipstick color.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lip pencil
- A close synonym; it emphasizes the pencil form, while 'lip liner' can also be a stick in a tube.
Commonly confused: lip liner or eyeliner? lip liner or lipstick?
lip liner vs eyeliner
Eyeliner is used around the eyes, not the lips. The similar sound can cause confusion.
lip liner vs lipstick
Lipstick adds color to the whole lip; lip liner is used first to outline or shape the lips.
Practice
To keep your lipstick from smudging, first outline your lips with a ______.
Choose one answer.
A lip liner is the pencil or stick used to outline the lips before lipstick. Lip gloss adds shine, lip balm moisturizes, and lipstick is the color applied after the liner.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lip liner”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.