in someone's face

prepositional phrase

Onto or into someone's face.

“Who would want to sit next to Larry, the guy who's too dumb not to blow his cigar smoke in your face?”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. literallyOnto or into someone's face.

    Who would want to sit next to Larry, the guy who's too dumb not to blow his cigar smoke in your face?

    1 more example

    And why do you and all men regard or reward a loving thankful, obedient child, more than one that will scorn you and spit in your face?

    1675, Richard Baxter, Richard Baxter's Catholick Theologie: Plain, Pure, Peaceable: for Pacification of the Dogmatic Word-Warriours..., page 226
  2. idiomaticIn front of someone's face; before someone's eyes.

    The people on the beach blanket near ours were fine until they started changing into their swimsuits right in our faces.

    3 more examples

    This hypocrite will laugh in your face, and cut your throat...

    1658, Samuel Crook, Christopher Barker, William Garrett, Ta diapheronta, or, Divine characters: in two parts..., page 70

    They smilin' in your face / All the time, they want to take your place / The back stabbers

    1972, the O'Jays, “Back Stabbers (song)”, in Back Stabbers (album), performed by the O'Jays

    Well well they smile in your face / When all the time they wanna take your place / Them backstabbers

    1994, TLC, “Case of the Fake People”, in CrazySexyCool, performed by TLC

Translations

French au visage, dans le visage
  • au visageliterally
  • dans le visageliterally
  • dans la têteliterally
  • au visageidiomatic
  • au nezidiomatic
Russian в глаза́, в лицо́
  • в глаза́ (v glazá)idiomatic
  • в лицо́ (v licó)idiomatic
Cite this entry
APA

in someone's face. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20someone's%20face

MLA

“in someone's face.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20someone's%20face. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in someone's face,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20someone's%20face.

Source: in someone's face on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.