visage
Definitions
A person's face, especially as showing mood or character
面容，面貌
The outward appearance or aspect of something
外观，外貌
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedvis (see) + -age (noun) = 'that which is seen.' A person's visage is literally what others see of them — the face that meets the eye. The word came through Old French from Latin visus ('sight, appearance').
Root vis still carries 107 more wordsWhy It Means This
Visage is a literary, slightly formal word for 'face.' It carries more weight than 'face': you'd describe a stern visage, a noble visage, a weathered visage — it suggests the face as a window onto character or mood, not just a body part.
Example Sentences
- 1.
His weathered visage spoke of years spent working under the sun.
- 2.
A stern visage greeted us at the door.
- 3.
The mountain presented a forbidding visage in the fading light.
Easily Confused
visage vs face — face is the everyday, neutral word for any context. visage is literary and evocative, almost always describing how a face looks or what it reveals (a grim visage). Use face in normal speech; reserve visage for descriptive or formal writing.