game face

American

[geym feys] / ˈgeɪm ˌfeɪs /

noun

a neutral or intense facial expression that suggests a focus on winning, as in a competitive sport or card game.

The game faces at this poker tournament are as unflinching as stone.

Etymology

Origin of game face

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

His game face is a study in microexpressions, from awkward smiles to eyebrow pops.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Calvert, a lefty, had a steely-eyed game face, grinning only when she scored a point or stopped an opponent’s serve.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

Employees, feeling like expendable pawns in a grand corporate chess game, face an enormous emotional strain having to choose between their job and their home.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 7, 2023

But as a player, I can see her game face, and it was tense when she played.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2022

Zach has his game face on from the moment he walks into the auditorium, like he is first man up in the order and about to dig his spikes into the batter’s box.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023