facial expression

plural facial expressions

1. countableuncountableA particularconfiguration of the facial muscles that conveys certain emotions or intentions.

   But the yokel, being a yokel, was not good at the reading of facial expression, and only knew that a remarkably fine woman had gone by smiling.

   1883, David Christie Murray, Hearts, Volume 3, page 2

   4 more examples

   The theory does not propose that facial expressions are more important than thoughts or memories in prompting emotions. But it points to the physiology of facial expression as a cause of emotions in its own right.

   1989 July 18, Daniel Goleman, “A Feel-Good Theory: A Smile Affects Mood”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   The sullen clerk there did not return my greetings or my farewell, did not say a word, and did not show a single facial expression except irritation that I had interrupted his customerless routine.

   2003, Paul Collins, Sixpence House, page 140

   The Botox studies, by contrast, suggest a circuit between the brain and the muscles of facial expression in which the brain monitors the emotional valence of the face and responds by generating the appropriate feeling.

   2014 March 21, Richard A[lan] Friedman, “Don’t Worry, Get Botox”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2014

   2017, Jennifer S. Holland, For These Monkeys, It’s a Fight for Survival., National Geographic (March 2017)http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/03/macaques-monkeys-indonesia-endangered-pet-trade/ Facial expressions convey moods: Ritualized yawning—which starts with an oval mouth that breaks into a gaping one as the animal flings its head back—suggests tension.

   Synonyms: expression, face, look, mien