grimace
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grimace
First recorded in 1645–55; from French, ultimately from Frankish grima (unrecorded) “mask” ( cf. grim, grime) + -azo, from Latin -āceus -aceous
Explanation
The grimace on her face when he asked her to the prom told him her answer was "no" before she said a word. A grimace is a facial expression that usually suggests disgust or pain, but sometimes comic exaggeration. Picture someone wrinkling his nose, squeezing his eyes shut, and twisting his mouth and you'll have a pretty solid mental image of a grimace. It can be a verb, as in "the class grimaced at the teacher's suggestion of a pop quiz." Or it words as a noun. "The class gave a grimace when the teacher suggested a pop quiz." Its forerunner was the 17th century Spanish grimazo, meaning caricature, and grima, meaning fright.
Vocabulary lists containing grimace
The Outsiders
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Hatchet
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"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After all, viral campaigns — such as the purple McDonald’s Grimace shake in 2023 and the Popeyes chicken sandwich wars in 2019 — have previously boosted sales.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026
She has also written about Grimace milkshakes, Taylor Swift-related conspiracy theories and rizz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
“This Shamrock Season celebration came to life when Grimace stumbled upon his family’s original Shamrock Shake recipe,” McDonald’s wrote in a press release obtained by TODAY.
From Salon • Feb. 7, 2025
The debut of the popular "Grimace" shake in the UK has also driven excitement, executives said.
From BBC • Oct. 29, 2024
Anyway, Grimace soon heard of it, and as she had never forgiven Minon-Minette for refusing Prince Fluet, she felt that here was her chance of revenge.
From The Pink Fairy Book by Lang, Andrew
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
