bare one's teeth

verb

To show one's teeth as a sign of aggression.

Meanings

verbbare one's teeth (third-person singular simple present bares one's teeth, present participle baring one's teeth, simple past and past participle bared one's teeth)

present singular third person bares one's teeth · participle present baring one's teeth · participle past bared one's teeth · past bared one's teeth · alternative bare one's fangs

  1. To show one's teeth as a sign of aggression.
  2. broadlyidiomaticTo show aggression.

Translations

Finnish näyttää hampaansa
  • näyttää hampaansa(figuratively) to show aggression
French montrer les dents
  • montrer les dents(figuratively) to show aggression
German Zähne zeigen, die Zähne fletschen
  • Zähne zeigen(figuratively) to show aggression
  • die Zähne fletschen(figuratively) to show aggression
Indonesian unjuk gigi
  • unjuk gigi(figuratively) to show aggression
Italian mostrare i denti
  • mostrare i denti(figuratively) to show aggression
Polish szczerzyć
  • szczerzyć(figuratively) to show aggression
Russian ска́лить зу́бы, оска́ливать зу́бы
  • ска́лить зу́бы (skálitʹ zúby)(figuratively) to show aggression
  • оска́ливать зу́бы (oskálivatʹ zúby)(figuratively) to show aggression
  • оска́лить зу́бы (oskálitʹ zúby)(figuratively) to show aggression
  • ска́литься (skálitʹsja)(figuratively) to show aggression
  • оска́литься (oskálitʹsja)(figuratively) to show aggression
Cite this entry
APA

bare one's teeth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bare%20one's%20teeth

MLA

“bare one's teeth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bare%20one's%20teeth. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bare one's teeth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bare%20one's%20teeth.

Source: bare one's teeth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.