long face

American  

noun

1. an unhappy or gloomy expression.

   He's been walking around with a long face ever since he failed the examination.

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long face British  

noun

1. a disappointed, solemn, or miserable facial expression

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long face Idioms  

1. A facial expression showing sadness or disappointment, as in Greg's long face was a clear indication of his feelings. [Late 1700s]

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Other Word Forms

• long-faced
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of long face

First recorded in 1780–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

long face

He cites one layman’s description of the transformative experience: “I can dive in with a long face and what feels like a terminal case of depression, and come out a whistling idiot.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Family members often referred to him as “El Viejito,” for his long face and an emotional literacy well beyond his years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2025

In 1998, an aspiring comedian named Tomoaki Hamatsu — nicknamed Nasubi, the Japanese word for eggplant, because of his long face — won the opportunity to compete on an extreme kind of game show.

From New York Times ● May 1, 2024

When I was older, someone said, "You were born with that long face. Everyone who has a long face, they look miserable," So people can project things onto you.

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2023

Daniela appears in my head like a painting: doughy skin, dull hair, sinking eyes, crooked nose, long face.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

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