cut a figure

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

cut a figure (third-person singular simple present cuts a figure, present participle cutting a figure, simple past and past participle cut a figure)

1. (idiomatic) To present an image; to make an impression.
   • 1913, Jeffery Farnol, chapter 57, in The Amateur Gentleman:

     Your desire was to cut a figure in the Fashionable World. Well, to-day you have your wish—to-day you are famous.

   • 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 27”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:

     Dirk Stroeve cut such an absurd figure that I felt inclined to laugh.

   • 1950, The Crisis, page 647:

     As a leader of the free world the United States cuts an unconvincing figure with its racial segregation.

   • 2010 September 9, Karl Vick, “Israel's Military on the Spot Over Activist's Death”, in Time:

     Composed and genial, the Corries cut an impressive figure in the sun-drenched Haifa courthouse.

   • 2024 April 24, Helene Cooper, “NATO Puts on a Show of Force in the Shadow of Russia’s War”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Standing in a field at an army barracks in Poznan, Poland, and wearing the black Stetson that is customary for the 2nd Cavalry, Colonel McChrystal cut a figure both commanding and incongruous.

Usage notes

• Often used with an adjective that modifies figure.