barefaced

Barefaced is an English adjective with two principal senses. The first is literal: without makeup or disguise, used to describe someone presenting themselves openly and without concealment. In modern usage this sense is less common than phrases like “without makeup,” and barefaced is often reserved for literary or emphatic contexts when emphasis on openness is intended.

The second sense is figurative: shameless or brazen. In this sense, a barefaced action or statement is openly defiant of norms or expectations. Common collocations include barefaced lie, barefaced denial, and barefaced cheek, all conveying audacity or hypocrisy.

Etymology: the word derives from bare, meaning uncovered, and faced. It appears in Early Modern English and has since evolved into the compoundbarefaced; hyphenation is more typical in older texts, while barefaced as a single word is standard in contemporary writing.

Usage notes: barefaced tends to carry a strongly evaluative tone and is more common in informal or literary registers than in formal or official contexts. It can appear in journalism, criticism, or fiction to underscore disdain, disbelief, or moral judgment. While closely related terms include unmasked and brazen, barefaced emphasizes the conspicuousness and unapologetic nature of the behavior or statement.

See also: unmasked, brazen, shameless, lie, denial.