visage

noun

vis·​age ˈvi-zij 

1

: the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal

2

: aspect, appearance

the grimy visage of a mining town

Did you know?

The word face may be a pretty generic word, but it has several high-flown synonyms. Physiognomy, for instance, refers to facial features thought to reveal qualities of temperament or character. "I thought I could detect in his physiognomy a mind owning better qualities than his father ever possessed," Emily Brontë writes in Wuthering Heights. Countenance is often used to refer to the face as an indication of mood or emotion, as Bram Stoker types in Dracula: "Mina struggled hard to keep her brave countenance." Visage can refer to the face of a person or an animal, and it can also refer to the appearance of nonliving things, as in "the dirty visage of the old abandoned factory."

Synonyms

• cast
• countenance
• expression
• face
• look

Examples of visage in a Sentence

an old man with a noticeably happy visage

visitors to the mountain range had long noted that the natural rock formation bore a striking resemblance to the visage of a man

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the yolks feature the unenthusiastic visage of Gudetama, while brioche buns come stamped with the character donning a chef’s toque and reclining in its eggshell. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024

According to a statement from Museum West Zealand, researchers recognized the ruler’s visage from the figure’s signature wavy hair and decorative crown of twisted ram horns. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from vis face, from Latin visus sight, from vidēre to see — more at wit

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

visage

noun

vis·​age ˈviz-ij 

1

: the face

also : an expression of the face

2

: the outward appearance of a person, animal, or thing