grimace

1 of 2

noun

gri·​mace ˈgri-məs How to pronounce grimace (audio) gri-ˈmās How to pronounce grimace (audio)
: a facial expression usually of disgust, disapproval, or pain
a grimace of hate and rage
grimacer noun

grimace

2 of 2

verb

grimaced; grimacing

intransitive verb

: to distort one's face in an expression usually of pain, disgust, or disapproval
Grimacing slightly, he runs his finger over the back of his heel, where a deep … fissure has opened inside a callus.Chris Ballard
My father shifted his weight and grimaced. The sheet slid off his injured leg, the calf swollen, purple as a plum …Bernard Cooper

Examples of grimace in a Sentence

Noun The patient made a painful grimace as the doctor examined his wound. he made a grimace when he tasted the medicine Verb playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In an alarming sight for an already-banged-up inside linebacker room, Greenlaw pulled up with a grimace after covering J.K. Dobbins on an LB-RB one-on-one pass-coverage drill. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 31 July 2025 In one image, Scales, who had won a Military Cross for his bravery at the front, wears a crooked grimace that suggests recent anguish. Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Verb
The latest Windows security update issue is no laughing matter, or crying, winking or grimacing for that matter. Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 Dobbins stepped on the bag awkwardly and immediately began limping, and after visibly grimacing in pain following a test pitch was pulled from the game. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for grimace

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Middle French, alteration of grimache, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English grīma mask

First Known Use

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1762, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grimace was in 1651

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Cite this Entry

“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grimace. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

grimace

noun
grim·​ace
ˈgrim-əs,
grim-ˈās
: facial expression usually of disgust, disapproval, or pain
grimace verb

More from Merriam-Webster on grimace

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