save face

verb

To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

“He tried to make reparations to those he had injured, partly to save face.”

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Meanings

verbsave face (third-person singular simple present saves face, present participle saving face, simple past and past participle saved face)

present singular third person saves face · participle present saving face · participle past saved face · past saved face

  1. idiomaticintransitiveTo take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

    He tried to make reparations to those he had injured, partly to save face.

Origin

See lose face.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حَفِظَ مَاءَ الوَجْهِ
  • حَفِظَ مَاءَ الوَجْهِ (ḥafiẓa māʔa l-wajhi)preserve reputation
Chinese Mandarin 挽回面子
  • 挽回面子 (wǎnhuí miànzi)preserve reputation
Czech zachránit tvář
  • zachránit tvářpreserve reputation
Esperanto savi la vizaĝon
  • savi la vizaĝonpreserve reputation
Estonian au päästma
  • au päästmapreserve reputation
Finnish pelastaa kasvonsa
  • pelastaa kasvonsapreserve reputation
French sauver la face
  • sauver la facepreserve reputation
German das Gesicht wahren
  • das Gesicht wahrenpreserve reputation
Japanese 顔を立てる, 面目を保つ
  • 顔を立てる (kao o tateru)preserve reputation
  • 面目を保つ (menboku o tamotsu)preserve reputation
Malay jaga air muka
  • jaga air mukapreserve reputation
Persian آبروداری کردن
  • آبروداری کردنpreserve reputation
Polish zachowywać twarz, zachować twarz
  • zachowywać twarzpreserve reputation
  • zachować twarzpreserve reputation
Portuguese livrar a cara
  • livrar a carapreserve reputation
Romanian salva obrazul
  • salva obrazulpreserve reputation
Russian сохрани́ть лицо́
  • сохрани́ть лицо́ (soxranítʹ licó)preserve reputation
Spanish quedar bien (parado), salir bien parado
  • quedar bien (parado)preserve reputation
  • salir bien paradopreserve reputation
  • mantener/cuidar el pundonorpreserve reputation
  • mantenerse pundonorosopreserve reputation
Swedish rädda ansiktet
  • rädda ansiktetpreserve reputation
Thai ไว้หน้า, รักษาหน้า
  • ไว้หน้า (wái-nâa)preserve reputation
  • รักษาหน้า (rák-sǎa-nâa)preserve reputation
Vietnamese giữ thể diện
  • giữ thể diệnpreserve reputation
Welsh safio'r wyneb
  • safio'r wynebpreserve reputation
Cite this entry
APA

save face. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/save%20face

MLA

“save face.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/save%20face. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “save face,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/save%20face.

Source: save face on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.