in someone's face

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Prepositional phrase

in someone's face

1. (literally) Onto or into someone's face.
   • 1675, Richard Baxter, Richard Baxter's Catholick Theologie: Plain, Pure, Peaceable: for Pacification of the Dogmatic Word-Warriours...‎^[1], page 226:

     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?

2. (idiomatic) In front of someone's face; before someone's eyes.
   • 1658, Samuel Crook, Christopher Barker, William Garrett, Ta diapheronta, or, Divine characters: in two parts...‎^[2], page 70:

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

Derived terms

• in-your-face
• in your face

Translations

literally

• French: au visage, dans le visage, dans la tête

idiomatic

• French: au visage, au nez
• Russian: в глаза́ (v glazá), в лицо́ (ru) (v licó)

See also

• to someone's face