English · Idiom Historical

black in the face

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Extremely angry. The face is discoloured with passion or distress.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Black & white Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “black in the face” mean?

Extremely angry. The face is discoloured with passion or distress.

Is “black in the face” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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