visage

/ˈvɪzɪdʒ/

/vɪˈsɒʒ/

Other forms: visages

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.

Definitions of visage

1. noun

   the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face' and `phiz' is British)
   synonyms: countenance, kisser, mug, phiz, physiognomy, smiler

   types:

   pudding face, pudding-face

   a large fat human face

   type of:

   face, human face

   the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
2. noun

   the appearance conveyed by a person's face
   “a stern visage”

   synonyms: countenance

   types:

   aspect, expression, face, facial expression, look

   the feelings expressed on a person's face

   poker face

   a face without any interpretable expression (as that of a good poker player)

   leer

   a suggestive or sneering look or grin

   light, spark, sparkle, twinkle

   merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance

   type of:

   appearance, visual aspect

   outward or visible aspect of a person or thing