grease paint
Americannoun
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an oily mixture of melted tallow or grease and a pigment, used by actors, clowns, etc., for making up their faces.
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theatrical makeup.
Etymology
Origin of grease paint
First recorded in 1885–90
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.
Curry was also the first to don Pennywise’s grease paint and ghoulishness for ABC’s 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
In his Halloween paso doble showcase, he wore a clerical collar and forewent grease paint or creepy contacts, relying on wide-eyed expressions and a low-slung layer of fake fog to hide his relatively clumsy footwork.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2025
They said she had makeup that was like grease paint that was melting off her face.
From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2020
Fitting for a portrayal pair of Broadway superstars, the series has grease paint running through its DNA.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2019
This is like backstage: grease paint, smoke, the materials of illusion.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
