face the consequences
English Meaning & Definitions
To accept the unpleasant or inevitable results of one's own actions or decisions.
- “If you decide to break the rules, you must be prepared to face the consequences.”
- “He knew he had lied to his boss, and now he had to face the consequences of his dishonesty.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “face the consequences”.
The phrase combines the Middle English 'face' (from Old French 'face', ultimately from Latin 'facies' meaning 'appearance' or 'form') with 'consequence' (from Latin 'consequentia', meaning 'a following'). Historically, to 'face' something implies turning one's gaze directly toward a challenge or reality, while 'consequences' refers to the logical outcomes of an action. The idiom emerged as a standard English expression to describe the act of accepting responsibility for one's past behavior.
Imagine a person standing in front of a mirror (facing) looking at the results (consequences) of their actions written on the glass.
Frequently Asked Questions About “face the consequences”
1. What is the meaning of “face the consequences” in English?
In English, face the consequences (idiom) is defined as: “To accept the unpleasant or inevitable results of one's own actions or decisions.”.
2. How do you use “face the consequences” in a sentence?
“If you decide to break the rules, you must be prepared to face the consequences.”
3. What are English synonyms of “face the consequences”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “face the consequences”?
The phrase combines the Middle English 'face' (from Old French 'face', ultimately from Latin 'facies' meaning 'appearance' or 'form') with 'consequence' (from Latin 'consequentia', meaning 'a following'). Historically, to 'face' something implies turning one's gaze directly toward a challenge or reality, while 'consequences' refers to the logical outcomes of an action. The idiom emerged as a standard English expression to describe the act of accepting responsibility for one's past behavior.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.