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Preserved but no longer current.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.
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.