lose face — be embarrassed or lose respect
collocationB2IELTS 5+neutraloccasional
To be embarrassed or to lose the respect of others, especially in a public situation.
Say it like a native
Textbook He suffered a significant diminution of public dignity.
Native He didn't want to lose face in front of his team.
'Lose face' captures public humiliation in two words; the formal version is stiff.
Pattern: lose face (by/when/if...)
In use
- He didn’t want to lose face in front of his colleagues by admitting he was wrong.daily life
- In some cultures, people are very careful not to lose face, especially during business meetings.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He lost his face in the meeting.
✓ He lost face in the meeting.
No 'his' — the idiom is just 'lose face' (lose respect/dignity), not literal.
Common collocations
lose face— without, save, in front of, avoid
Don't confuse it
Opposite: 'save face', which means to avoid embarrassment or keep your reputation.