Pouts

Pouts are a facial expression involving the lips pressed outward, often with the lower lip protruding and the mouth corners relaxed or turned downward. The gesture can be produced by pursing the lips, sometimes accompanied by a slight jaw drop or chin lift. Pouting can signal a range of states, including displeasure or sulkiness, disappointment, or teasing and flirtation depending on context and tone.

In social use, pouts function as nonverbal communication. Children may pout to express frustration or demand attention, while adults may adopt a pout as a deliberate pose in photographs or selfies. In fashion and media, pouty lips have appeared as a stylistic motif associated with certain beauty standards, though interpretations vary across cultures and eras. The term “pout” is often linked with related expressions such as the “duck face,” a broader category of lip poses used in popular imagery.

Physiologically, pouting engages the muscles around the mouth, notably the orbicularis oris, which compresses and protrudes the lips, and sometimes the mentalis, which can push the lower lip upward or outward. Muscular tension may be visible as part of a broader facial expression, and subtle pouting can be part of everyday communication, while more exaggerated forms are used for emphasis or stylistic effect.

Etymology and usage: The verb pout appears in English from the Middle Ages, with the noun and its plural form pouts used to describe instances of the gesture or people displaying it.