Jun 23, 2008 15:14
16 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term

empty face

Non-PRO English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
Mrs. Kraus had a round. empty face and smallish brown eyes that wore a look of immeasurable weariness, as if she never left a moment of her life behind her...

What does it mean by "an empty face"?
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

PRO (1): Mihaela Ghiuzeli

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Responses

+9
3 mins
Selected

blank/ expressionless face; inscrutable

a face that betrays no feelings; you can't read her thoughts
Peer comment(s):

agree Marie-Hélène Hayles : and snap!
1 min
Thank you Marie-Helene ! ...and snap !
agree Egil Presttun : You're right, but the definition of empty face is not the same as "poker face". An empty face can reveal something, i.e. that the person is apathetic or far away in his own thoughts.
11 mins
It's still empty Egil. This is pretty strong.
agree Janet Cannon : true too !
11 mins
Thank you jthink !
agree Heather Shaw : expressionless or plain
11 mins
Thank you Heather !
agree Jack Doughty
13 mins
Thank you so much Jack ! I took your example and took a chance with a pretty concise explanation.
agree Edith Kelly
55 mins
Thank you Edith !
agree Alaa57 : You Got it!
1 hr
Thank you Alaa !
agree Demi Ebrite : I agree; her face was expressionless, her eyes expressed weariness
1 hr
Thank you Demi !
agree Patricia Townshend (X)
2 hrs
Thank you Patricia !
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thank you very much"
+3
3 mins

face without much life

There isn't an exact answer to this question, because it's a metaphor that could mean a few things. In this context, I take it to mean that her face didn't have much "life" in it. The woman's "immeasurable weariness" (extreme tiredness) and difficult life that she couldn't forget made her face seem "empty": there wasn't much there. Maybe you know people like this woman? They don't look happy. They look as if life has beaten them down.
Peer comment(s):

agree Marie-Hélène Hayles : Along the same lines!
1 min
Thank you!
agree Egil Presttun
5 mins
Thank you!
agree Janet Cannon : exactly
10 mins
Thank you!
Something went wrong...
+1
4 mins

expressionless

I'd interpret it as meaning without expression, blank, but it's not the only possibility.
Peer comment(s):

agree Mihaela Ghiuzeli : You are too "lonely" here and it's basically one minute difference.
2 hrs
so kind! ;)
Something went wrong...
13 mins

vacant face

another term we use
Something went wrong...
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