English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Face to face
Meaning
"Face to face" refers to a situation where two or more people are facing each other, either literally or metaphorically. It can also indicate that someone is confronting another directly, often in a hostile or unpleasant way.
Usage
- I am nervous about meeting my boss for the first time face to face.
- After months of avoiding eye contact with her, he finally faced her head on.
- The two rivals had to face off in a high-stakes competition.
- He found it difficult to convey his feelings during his divorce proceedings face to face.
- The company has been facing financial difficulties and may need to cut costs face to face with its employees. The usage of "face to face" can vary depending on the context, such as in a friendly or hostile encounter, in person or virtually through video conferencing.
Roots and History
The origin of "face to face" is uncertain, but it has been used in English since at least the 16th century. It may have originally referred to a situation where two people were sitting or standing facing each other, with their bodies aligned. Over time, the idiom evolved to refer to more than two people and took on a metaphorical sense of confronting someone directly.
Synonyms in English
- Face down
- Head-on
- To the bone
- At close quarters
- In person
Synonyms in other languages
- Spanish: "cara a cara" (face to face) - It has the same literal meaning as the English idiom and is used in similar contexts.
- French: "de face" (directly) - This idiom can be used to refer to someone facing their opponent or situation directly.
- German: "direkt" (directly) - This is a more general word that can be used in a variety of situations, but has a similar meaning to the English and French idioms.
- Italian: "a vista" (in the open) - This idiom can refer to someone facing their opponent or situation directly, as well as being open and transparent.
- Russian: "на лицо" (on face) - Similar to the English and other languages, this idiom refers to someone facing their opponent or situation directly.