grimace
To twist your face because of pain or disgust.
grimace in a sentence
- Ivy grimaced as she bit into the lemon, screwing up her whole face.
- One sip of the bitter medicine was enough to make Jamal grimace and reach for the water.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to grimace?
- Agrin
- Bfrown
- Cbeam
- Dsmile
Show the answer
B: frown. The other three mean the opposite of grimace.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to grimace?
- Asmile
- Bscowl
- Cwince
- Dfrown
Show the answer
A: smile. The other three mean nearly the same as grimace.
Words that mean something similar
frown, scowl, wince
Words that mean the opposite
smile, grin, beam
More words about appearance & looks
- grotesque: Strange and ugly in a way that is frightening or silly.
- haggard: Looking very tired and worn out.
- identical: Exactly the same in every way.
- illegible: So messy that it cannot be read.
- immaculate: Perfectly clean and tidy.
- impeccable: So perfect that not a single fault can be found.
- inconspicuous: Not easily seen or noticed.
- inedible: Not fit or safe to eat.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test