Meanings
adjectivedough-faced (comparative more dough-faced, superlative most dough-faced)
comparative more dough-faced · superlative most dough-faced
- USidiomaticCowardly.
- USidiomaticObsequious; fawning; pliable.
- datedderogatoryobsoleteResembling or characterized by a bloated, pale, or plump face or complexion.
Origin
In reference to the white color of a person's face when drained of blood through fear.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
dough-faced. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dough-faced
MLA
“dough-faced.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dough-faced. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dough-faced,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dough-faced.
Source: dough-faced on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.