Janus-faced

American  

[jey-nuhs-feyst] / ˈdʒeɪ nəsˌfeɪst /

adjective

1. having two faces, one looking forward, one looking backward, as the Roman deity Janus.

2. having two contrasting aspects, as the alternation of mood in a capricious person.

3. two-faced; deceitful.

4. aware of or concerned with polarities; seeing different and contrasting aspects.

   a Janus-faced view of history.

5. having or containing contrasting characteristics.

   a Janus-faced policy.

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Janus-faced British  

adjective

1. two-faced; hypocritical; deceitful

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Etymology

Origin of Janus-faced

First recorded in 1675–85; Janus ( def. ) + faced ( def. )

Example Sentences

Every renaissance is Janus-faced, he notes, looking “backward and forward at the same time.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

“The State cannot be allowed to take a Janus-faced position — wholeheartedly proffering David’s allegations of abuse on the State’s criminal proceedings, while disavowing or discrediting those same allegations in David’s civil action,” they wrote.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 12, 2024

Janus-faced and ambivalent to tropes, Daphne’s narration is riddled with omissions and reversals that intensify the mystery of the broken window.

From New York Times • May 15, 2023

He was one of America's most Janus-faced leaders, a protean figure who could sincerely shift from the pragmatic reformer to the vengeful autocrat without any apparent qualms.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2023

I took out the Janus-faced token, gazed at it one final time, and handed it to Horatio.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein