in your face

[ in yoor feys ]

idiom

, Informal.

1. Also in-your-face.
   1. seeming to express or invite confrontation; defiant, militant, or provocative:

      His political commentary is always in your face.

      Something drives him to break every rule, and to do it with a deep-down, in-your-face belligerence.

   2. displayed or advertised flagrantly, obtrusively, or forcefully:

      Everywhere you go, alcohol is in your face.

   3. (of a color, flavor, or the like) strong or vivid; bold rather than subtle:

      The brew has a huge, in-your-face hop flavor, but very little bitterness.

2. in a provocative, flagrant, or bold way:

   They’re so brazen—they do their cheating in your face, daring you to do something about it.

3. (used as an exclamation to tease someone or flaunt something in a confrontational way):

   In your face, Cougars—we won!

in-your-face

adjective

1. slang.
   aggressive and confrontational

   provocative in-your-face activism

Word History and Origins

Origin of in your face¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Idioms and Phrases

Defiantly confrontational; also, an exclamation of contempt. For example, This show is not suitable for youngsters; its attitude about sex is in your face , or In your face, mister! This slangy expression originated in the 1970s in basketball as a phrase of contempt used against the opposing team and was extended to other areas by the mid-1980s.

Example Sentences

“If you had told me, as the director of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen,’ that I would end up directing the most successful R-rated movie in history,” says director-producer-co-writer Shawn Levy, “I would have laughed in your face … but secretly been really f— thrilled.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Bands with chutzpah and style, something kind of threatening and in your face.”

From Los Angeles Times

Some people think that in order to be funny, stand-up comedy needs to be in your face, controversial and full of vulgarity.

From Los Angeles Times

But I think that the people who support Harris are not as in your face.

From BBC

“And so, when you get to a point where you think that you’ve learned the lessons, and then it blows up in your face again, you realize, ‘OK, I haven’t, so what is it that I need to look at right now?’

From Los Angeles Times