grimace
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- grimacer noun
- grimacingly adverb
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.
He tried to look as shocked as the others when host Claudia Winkleman slammed Faith's coffin lid shut, but couldn't help a guilty grimace.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026
“I know where it is,” he said through the grimace.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
"Some attendees, unable to tolerate the stench, grimace and cover their noses as they approach the flower."
From Salon • May 27, 2025
Or, for that matter, the jealous, craven Guy rising to the surface, whom Stan nails hilariously with each stewing grimace.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2024
He sat before me without tear or grimace, and in silence, I shaved off his hair.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
