grimace
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- grimacer noun
- grimacingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of grimace
First recorded in 1645–55; from French, ultimately from Frankish grima (unrecorded) “mask” ( cf. grim, grime) + -azo, from Latin -āceus -aceous
Explanation
The grimace on her face when he asked her to the prom told him her answer was "no" before she said a word. A grimace is a facial expression that usually suggests disgust or pain, but sometimes comic exaggeration. Picture someone wrinkling his nose, squeezing his eyes shut, and twisting his mouth and you'll have a pretty solid mental image of a grimace. It can be a verb, as in "the class grimaced at the teacher's suggestion of a pop quiz." Or it words as a noun. "The class gave a grimace when the teacher suggested a pop quiz." Its forerunner was the 17th century Spanish grimazo, meaning caricature, and grima, meaning fright.
Vocabulary lists containing grimace
The Outsiders
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Hatchet
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"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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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.
“I know where it is,” he said through the grimace.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
“I think that smile, it wasn’t like a — it was like an ‘ooh’, you know, like, one of those,” Cunningham said, making a grimace.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025
"Some attendees, unable to tolerate the stench, grimace and cover their noses as they approach the flower."
From Salon • May 27, 2025
Eyebrows dance above her piercing eyes as her mouth stretches into a toothy grin that’s part smile, part grimace.
From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2024
In the dark it’s hard to read his face clearly, but he seems to grimace, like he’s been hurt.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
