Meaning & use
taut face
Last updated
UK/ˌtɔːt ˈfeɪs/
US/ˌtɑːt ˈfeɪs/
Meaning
nouncountablefigurative
a face that looks tight and strained, often because of worry, anger, or effort.
Grammar: Countable phrase: a taut face, her taut face.
Patterns
- a taut face
- with a taut face
- her/his taut face
After the argument, she sat with a taut face, staring at the wall.
His taut face showed how hard he was trying to stay calm.
The doctor noticed the patient's taut face and asked if he was in pain.
Word forms
| plural | taut faces |
|---|
Common combinations
- a taut face
- He listened with a taut face, clearly unhappy with the news.
- look taut
- Her face looked taut with worry before the exam.
- taut with tension
- His face was taut with tension as he waited for the results.
Synonyms and how they differ
- strained
- Strained is more common and often describes a voice or smile as well as a face.
- tense
- Tense describes a general feeling of nervousness; taut face focuses on the tight look of the face itself.
Opposites
relaxed face
Word family
- taut adjective
- tight and stretched; also used figuratively for strained expressions.
- tautly adverb
- in a tight, strained way.
- tautness noun
- the quality of being tight or strained.
Commonly confused: taut face or taught?
taut face vs taught
Taught is the past tense of teach; taut means tight or strained.
Practice
Which sentence best uses 'taut face'?
Choose one answer.
'Taut face' describes a tight, strained expression, so it fits a stressful situation. A relaxing spa day would produce a relaxed face, not a taut one.
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