Countenance

Definition: Countenance

Countenance

Noun

1. The appearance conveyed by a person's face; "a pleasant countenance"; "a stern visage".

2. Formal and explicit approval.

3. The human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face'; `phiz' is British).

Verb

1. Give permission; "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "countenance" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Dream Interpretation

Literature

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Countenance

Aid

Second, stand by; back, back up; pay the piper, abet; work for, make interest for, stick up for, take up the cudgels for; take up the cause of, espouse the cause of, adopt the cause of; advocate, beat up for recruits, press into the service; squire, give moral support to, keep in countenance, countenance, patronize; lend oneself to, lend one's countenance to; smile upon, shine upon; favor, befriend, take in hand, enlist under the banners of; side with; (cooperate).

Patronage, championship, countenance, favor, interest, advocacy.

Approbation

Stand up for, stick up for; uphold, hold up, countenance, sanction; clap on the back, pat on the back; keep in countenance, indorse; give credit, recommend; mark with a white mark, mark with a stone.

Front

Brow, forehead, visage, physiognomy, phiz, countenance, mut; rostrum, beak, bow, stem, prow, prore, jib.

Crosswords: Countenance

Wilson's Wife's Countenance (1910)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Prince dorus: Or, Flattery Put Out of countenance. A Poetical Version of an Ancient Tale (Collected Works of Charles Lamb) (reference)

• The Countenance of the Father (reference)

• The Knight of Cheerful Countenance (Virago Modern Classic, No 389) (reference)

• The United Nations giving countenance to Soviet strategic penetration of Africa (reference)

• Cosmic Christianity: The Changing Countenance of Cosmology (reference)

  (more book examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Plate 26. The countenance of Callorhinus. A life study of an adult male fur seal. Credit: National Marine Fisheries Historical Image Collection.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Busy as he was, however, the young man was yet able to shew a most happy countenance on seeing Emma again.

His countenance, in this repose, was mild and kindly.

His countenance, at first calm, now fell.

I observed by his countenance that he was in some perplexity, and at a loss how to begin what he had to speak.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Business

In spite of objections from the environmental and rail transport lobbies, it is likely that the EU will shortly countenance a further increase in maximum truck weight to 44 tons, thereby permitting haulage companies to use larger vehicles to transport goods over longer distances. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Ancient countenance

Sorrow of countenance

Expressions using "countenance": a cheerful countenance ♦ change countenance ♦ clouded countenance ♦ forbidding countenance ♦ give countenance to ♦ give countenance to smb. ♦ In countenance ♦ keep in countenance ♦ keep one in countenance ♦ keep one's countenance ♦ keep smb. in countenance ♦ lend countenance to ♦ loose countenance ♦ lose countenance ♦ lose one's countenance ♦ one's countenance falling ♦ out of countenance ♦ put out of countenance ♦ put smb. out of countenance ♦ solemn countenance ♦ stare out of countenance ♦ the knight of the rueful countenance ♦ The light of the countenance ♦ To keep the countenance. Additional references.

Albanian

toleroj, shprehje e fytyrës (face), qetësi (calm, calmness, composure, coolness, dispassion, ease, equanimity, imperturbability, keep quiet, languor, mum, order, peace, placidity, quiescence, quiescency, quiet, quietness, quietude, serenity, shut up, silence, still, stillness, tranquility, tranquillity, unconcern), pranoj (accept, acknowledge, admit, adopt, agree, allow, avouch, buy, concede, confess, grant, own, permit, receive, recognize, take, take in, take on, underwrite, wear), nxitje (abetment, challenge, cheer, dare, dig, drive, egging, encouragement, exhortation, fomentation, impetus, impulsion, incentive, incitement, inducement, instancy, instigation, kick, oestrum, oestrus, pressure, prod, prompt, prompting, stimulation, stimulus, urge), miratoj (accede, accept, adopt, approbate, approve, assent, confirm, consent, enact, Favor, favour, pass, ratify, recognize, root for, sanction, vote in), miratim (acceptance, acclamation, adoption, approbation, approval, assent, confirmation, consent, enactment, endorsement, Favor, favour, goodwill, imprimatur, indorsement, leave, ok, okay, okey, ratification, recognition, sanction, validation, warrant), mbështet (abet, adhere, back, back up, build, buttress, found, hold up, lean, pillow, prop up, push, shore, support, sustain, uphold), fytyrë (face, front, name, Phiz, physiognomy, visage). (various references)

Arabic 

‏ملامح (brow, face, feature, features, lineaments, mien), ‏محيا (phiz, visage), ‏هدوء (calm, calmness, composure, dispassion, ease, philosophy, placidity, quiescence, quiet, quietness, quietude, remission, silence, still, stillness, tranquility, tranquillity), ‏وجه (aim, aspect, boss, change, control, cox, destine, direct, engineer, face, guide, maw, mug, mush, officer, orient oneself, orientate, pan, phiz, point, preside, rein, shepherd, snout, steer, visage), ‏تأييد (advocacy, advowson, corroboration, favor, favour, support), ‏تشجيع (comforting, encouragement, inducement, pep talk, reassurance, spur), ‏سيماء (brow, mien, visage), ‏طلعة (aspect, brow, mien, presence, sally, visage), ‏أيد (advocate, affirm, champion, favor, favour, further, go in for, look with favor on, look with favour on, plunk, reason, second, side, side with, stand for, stand up for, stick up, stick up for, subscribe, subserve, support, sustain, underpin, uphold, validate), ‏رزانة (gravity, plainness, sagacity, soberness, sobriety, stoicism), ‏شجع (animate, cheer, comfort, cultivate, embolden, encourage, feed, fortify, foster, hearten, inspirit, instigation, invite, nerve, promote, root, spur, support). (various references)

Bulgarian 

самообладание (equanimity, grip, nerve, repose, restraint, self control, self possession, self-command, self-mastery, temper, willpower), спокойствие (calm, calmness, composure, ease, easiness, immovability, impassivity, imperturbability, peace, placidity, poise, quiet, quietness, quietude, repose, rest, security, serenity, stillness, tranquility, tranquillity), черти на лицето (features, lineament, physiognomy), морална подкрепа, лице (appearance, bod, face, features, figurehead, front, front view, frontage, individual, kisser, map, person, persona, personage, physiognomy, puss, sentry, visage), подкрепям (aid, back, back up, bear out, bolster, buttress, carry through, corroborate, enlist, give a hand, patronize, piece in, promote, prop up, refresh, second, stand by, stand to, stick by, stick up for, support, sustain, take up, undergird, underlie, underpin, uphold, verify, weigh in with), израз (expression, locution, look, manifestation, phrase, voice), изражение (air, aspect, demeanor, demeanour, face, look). (various references)

Chinese 

赞同 (Homologation), 顏 (color), 容貌 (personage), 容 (appearance, look, to allow, to contain, to hold). (various references)

Czech

vzezření (air, aspect, expression, guise, mien, presence), klid (calm, calmness, composure, coolness, ease, equanimity, imperturbability, peace, quiescence, quiescency, quiet, quietness, repose, rest, serenity, stand, standstill, still, stillness, tranquillity). (various references)

Danish

rædsom (abysmal, alarmed, dismayed, dreadful, dumbfounded, gruesome, horrible, put out of countenance, terrible), forfærdelig (abysmal, alarmed, dismayed, dreadful, dumbfounded, gruesome, horrible, put out of countenance, terrible). (various references)

Dutch

verbluffend (alarmed, dismayed, dumbfounded, phenomenal, put out of countenance), schrikkelijk (put out of countenance), schrikkelýk (alarmed, dismayed, dumbfounded, put out of countenance), schrikbarend (alarmed, dismayed, dumbfounded, put out of countenance), ontzettend (alarmed, dismayed, dumbfounded, put out of countenance). (various references)

Farsi 

پشتیبانی کردن (Aid, Champion, Prop, Rally, Second, Support), قیافه (Expression, Gesture, Leer, Look, Mien, Semblance, Sight), تشویق کردن (Cheer, Encourage, Eulogize, Grace, Patronize), سیما (Air, Appearance, Aspect, Brow, Expression, Feature, Mien, Visage), رخ (Cleavage, Face, Visage). (various references)

Finnish

kasvot (face). (various references)

French

visage, tranquillité, supporter, support, gravité, figure, encourager (comfort), encouragement (comforting). (various references)

German

antlitz (face, front), Miene (air, expression, face, mien). (various references)

Greek 

όψη (aspect, complexion, face, facet, guise, look, obverse, semblance, sight, view, visage), έκφραση (deliverance, enunciation, expression, locution, utterance). (various references)

Hebrew 

מבע פ� ים, לתמוך ב- (favour, stick up for, subscribe, uphold), תמיכ�" (aid, assistance, help, hold, support, sustenance), קלסתר פ� ים (mien, physiognomy, visage), פ� ים (appearance, expression, face, front, outside, physiognomy, surface, visage), ארשת פ� ים (facial expression), צור�" (appearance, face, fashion, form, guise, image, mode, mould, pattern, shape, type, visage). (various references)

Hungarian

arckifejezés (air, brow, cast of features, complexion, expression, facial aspect, facial expression, frown, look, mien, physiognomy), tekintet (beetle brows, bend, coup d'oeil, eye, faraway look, frown, glaze, gloat, leer, look, regard, sight, visage), támogatás (advocacy, aid, assistance, backing, encouragement, espousal, favor, help, lean, promotion, protection, sponsorship, subservience, subserviency, subsidization, support, sustain), fellépés (air, appearance, number). (various references)

Icelandic

hryllilegur (abhorrent, abominable, abysmal, alarmed, alien, awful, dismayed, dreadful, dumbfounded, gruesome, hideous, horrible, put out of countenance, terrible). (various references)

Indonesian

wajah (face). (various references)

Italian

viso (face, visage), faccia (aspect, do you, expression, face, look, side, you do, you let), espressione (aspect, expression, hard copy, look, phrase, term, utterance, wording), aspetto (air, appearance, aspect, complexion, face, feature, look, mien, outside, outward, person, respect, side, sight, view), aria (air, airing, appearance, aria, aspect, climate, expression, look, sight, tune, view), approvazione (acceptance, acceptation, acclaim, accolade, approbation, approval, assent, endorsement, imprimatur, indorsation, indorsement), approvare (adopt, approve, assent, endorse, indorse, pass, put through, recognize, subscribe, sympathise, sympathize), appoggio (abutment, advocacy, assistance, backing, backup, bolster, endorsement, footing, indorsation, indorsement, prop, purchase, rest, support), appoggiare (abet, forward, lay, lean, patronise, patronize, prop, rely, rest, stand, support, sustain). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

面相 (features, looks), 面持ち (expression, face, look), �"色 (complexion, expression), �"つき (expression, face, features, looks), �"付き (expression, face, features, looks), 相 (aspect, fellow, mutually, phase, together), 翼賛 (assistance, supporting), 人相 (looks, physiognomy), 気色 (humor, looks, mood). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

おももち (expression, face, look), が�"しょく (complexion, expression), きしょく (dependency, glad countenance, humor, joyful look, looks, mood, parasitism), そう (all, aspect, bed, cellar, class, conception, depository, destroy, elevator, ever, ex-, feel pain, former, formerly, general, go around, godown, granary, gross, idea, layer, magazine, monk, never, once before, originate, phase, priest, seam, start, stream, suffer, thought, to accompany, to be added to, to be adjusted to, to become married, to comply with, to follow, to marry, to meet, to run along, to satisfy, to suit, treasury, warehouse, whole), に�"そう (looks, physiognomy), かおつき (expression, face, features, looks), かおいろ (complexion, expression), め�"そう (features, looks), よくさ�" (assistance, supporting). (various references)

Korean 

안색 (Complexion). (various references)

Manx

grooish (visage). (various references)

Norwegian

forferdelig (abysmal, alarmed, dismayed, dreadful, dumbfounded, gruesome, horrible, horrifying, put out of countenance, terrible). (various references)

Pig Latin

ountenancecay

Portuguese

compostura (composure, cool, decency, decorum, moderation, trim), calma (aplomb, calm, calmness, composure, cool, coolness, détente, easygoing, halcyon, hush, imperturbability, indifference, lenience, leniency, lull, phlegm, placidity, quiet, quietness, self-possession, serenity, silence, still, temper, tranquility, tranquillity), semblante (aspect, face, identikit, likeness, mien, sight, view), rosto (face, feature, frontispiece, mug, muz, phiz, proboscis, trunk, visage), fisionomia (expression, physiognomy, visage), favor (behalf, bestowal, boon, favor, favour, grace, indulgence, lights, please), expressão (accent, aspect, diction, elocution, expression, formulation, look, phrase, reflex, significance, signification, term, utterance, verbalism, voice, word, wording), auxílio (assistance, benefit, contribution, co-operation, favor, favour, fostering, furtherance, help, maintenance, ministry, patronage, protection, relief, rescue, resort, rock, salve, staff, support), aprovação (acceptance, acclaim, adhesion, approbation, approval, assent, lights, sanction), apoio (aid, backing, backup, bearer, buttress, cheer, furtherance, hold, holder, holdfast, prop, protection, staff, stay, strength, support, tie-plate, toehold, upholder). (various references)

Romanian

chip (air, appearance, aspect, course, effigy, face, form, icon, image, likeness, look, manner, patina, shape, similitude, Snoot, sort, spit, way, wise), fizionomie (aspect, feature, look, mien, Phiz, physiognomy), încuviinţa (allow, approve, comply, permit), înfãţişare (air, appearance, aspect, behavior, behaviour, cast, dash, description, face, figuration, figure, form, get, guise, hearing, lay, likeness, look, manner, mien, patina, physiognomy, presentation, representation, semblance, shape, similitude), aproba (accept, acknowledge, acquiesce, allow, answer with a nod, applaud, approbate, approve, close, endorse, grant, homologate, pass, ratify, sanctify, sanction, uphold), aprobare (acceptance, approbation, approval, cheer, concurrence, endorsement, imprimatur, passage, sanction), încuraja (buck up, cheer, elate, embolden, encourage, fire, hearten, inspire, inspirit, key up, nerve, pep, promote, reassure, stimulate, stomach, support, uphold), faţã (appearance, aspect, complexion, face, forefront, foreground, front, head, index, look, mug, Phiz, Snoot, surface, visage), susţine (advocate, affirm, allege, argue, assert, back, back up, bear, bear up, bolster, buoy, buttress, carry, champion, claim, contend, defend, encourage, endorse, entertain, Favor, favour, fortify, give countenance to smb., hold, hold up, maintain, pep, promote, prop, reinforce, sanction, second, speed, sponsor, submit, support, underlie, uphold, vindicate), mascã (cloak, cover, face, grille, mask, masker, masquerader, mummer, screen), minã (cast, claymore, digging, face, mien, mine, pit), obraz (appearance, aspect, cheek, crust, face, index, skin), simpatie (approval, attraction, congeniality, fellow feeling, liking, love, popularity, regard, sympathy), sprijin moral, sprijini (abet, back, bear, bolster, boost, brace, buttress, carry, carry through, encourage, endorse, forward, ground, help, lean, line up behind, patronize, prop, recline, rest, second, speed, sponsor, stay, strike a blow for, strut, superinduce, support, take up the cudgels for, uphold), expresie a feţei (face). (various references)

Russian 

выражение лица (face, facial expression, visage). (various references)

Scottish

taobh (a side, be partial to, come nigh to, partiality, side), gnùis (face, the face). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

tolerisati (tolerate), lik (character, face, figure, image, imagery), lice (character, face, front, kisser, pan, person, puss, visage), držanje pribranosti. (various references)

Spanish

semblante (face, inland, mien). (various references)

Swedish

uppsyn (air, aspect, face, look, mien), min (air, aspect, expression, face, look, mien, mine, my), ansikte (face, mug, physiognomy). (various references)

Thai

สีหน้า (face, look), การควบคุมอารม�"์ (temperance), ยอมรับ (hold by, own, receive, take, take a bow). (various references)

Turkish

yüz vermek (indulge, pamper, pander to smb.), yüz ifadesi (expression, face, look, physiognomy, the cut of one's jib), yüz (c, cast of features, dial, face, facial, front, frontispiece, hecto-, hundred, kisser, mien, obverse, one hundred, Phiz, physiognomy, puss, Snoot, visage), uygun bulmak (approve, concede, deem suitable, uphold), teşvik etmek (abet, cheer, cheer on, draw, egg, egg on, embolden, encourage, fillip, Foster, ginger, ginger up, give a fillip to, give countenance to, goad, goad on, incite, induce, inspirit, instigate, keep smb. in countenance, lend countenance to, lend wings to, prod, prompt, put a premium on, put smb. on his mettle, revitalize, set on, sharpen, spark, spoonfeed, spur, spur smb. on, stimulate, stir up, tickle up, urge), teşvik (encouragement, exhortation, incitement, inducement, instigation, pull, pump priming, sendoff, stimulation), surat (court card, dial, face, kisser, map, mien, pan, Phiz, puss, Snoot), onamak (approve, ratify), onama (acceptance, approbation, approval, confirmation), kontrol (check, clutch, clutches, control, examination, governance, helm, inspection, pilot, rein, superintendence, supervision, wire), desteklemek (advocate, assist, back up, bear out, bear smb. out, bolster, bolster up, brace, buoy, buttress, champion, encourage, endorse, Favor, favour, fortify, give a leg up, give countenance to, go along with, help forward, hold up, identify, indorse, keep smb. in countenance, lend countenance to, logroll, nourish, patronize, promote, prop, root for, second, shore, sponsor, spoonfeed, stake, stanchion, stand, stand by, start, stick up for, strengthen, subordinate, support, sustain, underpin, uphold), destek (aid, anchorage, assistance, backing, backup, bolster, booster, brace, bracer, bracket, buttress, contribution, cooperation, corbel, crutch, endorsement, friend, indorsement, mounting, pillar, pit prop, prop, reinforcement, relief, rest, rider, second, shore, shot, sponsorship, spur, staff, stake, stanchion, stand by, stay, stiffening, strut, support, supporter, supporting, sustenance, truss, underlay, upholder), denge (balance, counterpoise, easiness, equation, equilibration, equilibrium, equipoise, poise, stability). (various references)

Turkmen 

яцсkeme (face), jamal. (various references)

Ukrainian

схвалювати (approbate, approve, o.k., ok, okay, okey, sanction, smile, welcome), самовладання (composure, possession, restraint, self control, self-command, self-government), спокій (balance, calm, calmness, composure, coolness, ease, easiness, impassivity, order, peace, placidity, quiescence, quiescency, quiet, quietness, quietude, repose, requiescence, rest, serene, serenity, tranquility, tranquillity), вираз обличчя (brow), обличчя (face, leer, visage), моральна підтримка, заохочувати (embolden, nurse, prompt), заохочення (encouragement, promotion). (various references)

Vietnamese 

vẻ mặt sự tán th� nh, vẻ bình tĩnh ủng hộ ai, thái độ nghiêm chỉnh, sắc mặt (visage), sự khuyến khích vẻ nghiêm trang, sự đ�"ng tình ủng hộ, động viên ai. (various references)

Welsh

wynepryd. (various references)

aspectus, continentia, facies, oris, os, os, oris, vultus. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "countenance": countenanced, countenancer, countenancers, countenances. (additional references)

Words ending with "countenance": discountenance. (additional references)

Words containing "countenance": discountenanced, discountenances. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Countenance" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: contenance, counentance, countanance, countemance, countenace, countenence, countenunce, counterance, countnenance, coutenance. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-3 letters: announce.

-4 letters: account, acetone, canteen, coenact, concent, connate, connect, cuneate, enounce, neonate, tonneau, uneaten.

-5 letters: accent, ancone, cannon, cannot, canton, cenote, cetane, coatee, coteau, neaten, nocent, nuance, octane, tenace, toucan.

+1 letter: countenanced, countenancer, countenances.

+2 letters: countenancers.

+3 letters: discountenance.

+4 letters: counterinstance, discountenanced, discountenances.

+5 letters: counterinstances.