lose face

Idioms  

1. Be embarrassed or humiliated, especially publicly. For example, Terry lost face when his assistant was promoted and became his boss. Both this expression and the underlying concept come from Asia; the term itself is a translation of the Chinese tiu lien and has been used in English since the late 1800s. Also see save face.

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Example Sentences

But the dad wasn't prepared to lose face.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2025

"What advantage is there to making someone lose face, unless that is your objective."

From Reuters • Jul. 24, 2023

“Where does he find a way out? Where does he find himself where he does not only lose face but significant power?”

From New York Times • Oct. 7, 2022

“I think North Korea will declare a victory over the pandemic a bit later. It would lose face if it proclaimed victory too soon and new patients cropped up afterwards,” Nam said.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2022

Still, we always used the butter, for if my mother sent it back to the kitchen, Yang Sze-Fu would lose face and quit.

From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz