visage
Americannoun
-
visages
plural
-
the face, usually with reference to shape, features, expression, etc.; countenance.
noun
-
face or countenance
-
appearance; aspect
Synonym Usage
See face.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of visage
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to vis “face” (from Latin vīsus “sight, appearance” ( Vulgar Latin: “face”), noun use of masculine past participle of vidēre “to see”) + -age -age. See wit 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Visage is a literary term for referring to someone's face or facial features. You may notice that some face creams use the word visage to try to sound fancier than they are. A famous use of visage is in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Brutus says: "O conspiracy/Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night,/When evils are most free? O, then by day/Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough/To mask thy monstrous visage?" Now there's a quote that will help you remember the meaning of visage, and even give you nightmares.
Vocabulary lists containing visage
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Romeo and Juliet
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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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.
See Examples For:
But just months after his capture in a stunning raid by US special forces, the interim government is gradually erasing Maduro's visage from public life.
From Barron's ● May 16, 2026
As she handed over the decks to DJ Shaw, Landry’s stern visage eased into a blissful smile.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
So when a slideshow of Kelly’s hairless visage appeared on the screen, Dokoupil fell bracingly silent.
From Slate ● Jan. 6, 2026
Lincoln’s visage took over the front of the coin in 1909 as the country celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
“By this will we be remembered,” he wrote in The New York Times, “a black gash of shame and sorrow, hacked into the national visage that is the Mall.”
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
But in an administration that privileges snarling visages, Witkoff is nearly universally described as “kind,” or “nice,” a quality he has used to good diplomatic effect.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
If the entire visages are mirrors, so in particular are the eyes, which gaze powerfully at the viewer from the mixed-media renderings.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 3, 2023
One scene demanded tortillas emblazoned with the guests’ visages; at what Tobman calls the eleventh hour, they found a laser that could etch the tortillas without marring the food.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2022
The Michigan-based Siegers Seed Co. sells so-called "Super Freak" pumpkins which are renowned for their various bump-covered visages.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2022
In the sea bottom the wind stirred along faint vapors, and from the mountains great stone visages looked upon the silvery rocket and the small fire.
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
