moue

as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval a moue of distaste at the display of bad manners

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of moue In her trademark cat-eye glasses, with her bitter-lemon moue, Hoffman, as Moth, is comedy just standing there; Harada, as Mustardseed, a warmth machine. New York Times, 24 Oct. 2021 Not just any moue, either, but a supermoue—a whole cultural attitude distilled into a single boffff. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2020 Pennywise, who sometimes takes the form of a giant spider-like monster, and whose pouty moue can suddenly sprout rows of sharp, brownish fangs, both feeds and feeds upon ordinary human viciousness. New York Times, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moue
Noun
  • Those could also prove useful, but will face the challenge of distinguishing facial expressions unique to pain rather than similar grimaces related to being hungry.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 May 2017
  • In the movie, the monkey is a two-foot-tall sculpted plastic model whose arms bang up and down on a drum, as his mouth opens up to bare its teeth in a violent grimace.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • A little over an hour later, Zalatoris walked out of the scoring building with a tight scowl.
    Brody Miller, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Dave comes off like a human scowl, and requires little of Liu besides completely tamping down any sense of natural charisma the Shang-Chi star has.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Shuffling feet, frowns or darting eyes signal discomfort and anxiety.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Below are some of the stocks JPMorgan frowns on: Vaccine maker Novavax is rated underweight by JPMorgan analysts.
    Pia Singh, CNBC, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Consider the many maladies dedicated to specific parts of the toddler body: pink eye; strep throat; ear infection; hand, foot, and mouth disease.
    Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2025
  • High-quality studies show fluoride prevents cavities and repairs damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The product felt comfortable on my lips and appeared to make my pout look plumper than usual.
    Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 21 Mar. 2025
  • But instead of the dry, flaky mattes of our youth, these go on buttery soft and manage to cushion lips in peptides, hyaluronic acid, and botanical extracts for a hydrated, plump pout.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Moue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moue. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!