Meanings
present singular third person faces the music · participle present facing the music · participle past faced the music · past faced the music
- idiomaticTo accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.First known use 19th c.
Trevor Philips (Steven Ogg): Time to face the music!
2013, Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto V, scene: Exiting a robbed bank surrounded by police with minigun and ballistic suit, level/area: The Paleto Score2 more examples
As for that husband of yours, I don't think much of him, and I tell you so candidly. Running away and leaving you to face the music.
1926, Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger AckroydHudson personally would not face the music at that meeting and the business could hardly proceed for groans and hisses and cries of "Hudson! Hudson! Why is Hudson not here?" and so the ungrateful shareholders to whom Hudson had generously paid dividends out of their own capital cast out Hudson bag and baggage, including therein the agreement with the Newmarket Railway.
1941 December, Kenneth Brown, “The Newmarket & Chesterford Railway—II”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 533Synonyms: face up to, pay the penalty, pay the price
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
More synonyms by meaning
verbaccept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Origin uncertain; possible sources which have been suggested include the following: * A performer on a stage facing the music from the orchestra pit when confronting a possibly hostile audience. * The historical act of a soldier who was dishonourably discharged from military service being paraded in front of other soldiers to the sound of a drum or music. * A soldier facing the noise of battle (music being military slang for the sound of gunfire or other ordnance).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 自食其果
- 自食其果 (zìshíqíguǒ)to accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Finnish kestää seuraukset, vastata seurauksista
- kestää seurauksetto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
- vastata seurauksistato accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
German den Kopf hinhalten, die Suppe auslöffeln
- den Kopf hinhaltento accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
- die Suppe auslöffelnto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Icelandic súpa seyðið
- súpa seyðiðto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Italian pagare il fio, far fronte alla tempesta
- pagare il fioto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
- far fronte alla tempestato accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Polish ponosić konsekwencje, ponieść konsekwencje
- ponosić konsekwencjeto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
- ponieść konsekwencjeto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Portuguese arcar com as consequências
- arcar com as consequênciasto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Russian расхлёбывать ка́шу
- расхлёбывать ка́шу (rasxljóbyvatʹ kášu)to accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Spanish afrontar las consecuencias, aguantar el chaparrón
- afrontar las consecuenciasto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
- aguantar el chaparrónto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
- atenerse a las consecuenciasto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Swedish stå sitt kast
- stå sitt kastto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Welsh wynebu'r canlyniadau
- wynebu'r canlyniadauto accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with face the music
All rhymes →Cite this entry
face the music. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/face%20the%20music
“face the music.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/face%20the%20music. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “face the music,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/face%20the%20music.
Source: face the music on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.