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# countenance

«countenance» in Mova's school dictionary: **A person's face, or the look on it** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a countenance, countenances); verb (countenance, countenances, countenanced, countenancing — formal)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (formal, old-fashioned) A person's face, or the look on it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#m1)

2) (verb, formal) To allow or approve of something, usually used in «not countenance»: the teacher would not countenance cheating. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#m2)

3) (in «keep your countenance») to keep a calm, straight face and not laugh. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

Found in older books and the Bible («the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee» — a blessing asking God to look kindly on you). In stories it tells the reader about a face and mood: a cheerful countenance, a grim countenance. Alice often has trouble keeping her countenance when the creatures say silly things.

### examples

- The old man had a kind countenance. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x1)
- His countenance fell when he heard the news. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x2)
- Alice could hardly keep her countenance when the Mock Turtle sang. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x3)
- The headteacher would not countenance bullying. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x4)
- The Badger's countenance was stern but kind. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x5)
- «The Lord make his face shine upon you,» says the blessing in the Bible. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x6)
- Her countenance brightened when she saw the letter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x7)
- Dad would never countenance lying. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x8)
- Her countenance glowed, and her eyes were like two stars. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/#x9)

### note

Old-fashioned and formal; in everyday talk say «face» or «look». «His countenance fell» means he looked disappointed. As a verb it is almost always negative: «I will not countenance it.»

### In the corpora

- [And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.93/)
- [And the LORD said unto Cain: 'Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.94/)
- [And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as beforetime.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.935/)
- [The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.246/)
- [a nation of fierce countenance, that shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/DEU.787/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «countenance» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countenance/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.