to save one's face
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Narrowly to avoid almost inevitable disgrace, disaster, or discomfiture.
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 “to save one's face” mean?
Narrowly to avoid almost inevitable disgrace, disaster, or discomfiture.
Is “to save one's face” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.