flatlipped

Flatlipped is an informal adjective used to describe a person whose upper lip has a relatively flat contour, with little or no pronounced cupid’s bow or curvature of the vermilion. The term is not common in formal medical or anatomical literature and is more likely to appear in descriptive writing, fashion or beauty contexts, or online discourse about facial features. It can reflect natural variation in lip morphology, which may be influenced by genetics, developmental factors, or aging, but it is not a clinical diagnosis.

Etymology and usage notes: Flatlipped combines the adjective flat with lip and the past participle suffix -ed. In some texts or older sources, the hyphenated form “flat-lipped” is used; in contemporary writing, the closed form “flatlipped” appears in digital or informal contexts.

Distinctions and related terms: The descriptor is distinct from terms such as “thin-lipped,” which emphasizes reduced lip fullness, and from “full-lipped” or “plump-lipped,” which highlight pronounced fullness. Upper lip morphology also relates to features like the philtrum and the vermilion border, but “flatlipped” centers on the perceived flatness of the upper lip rather than just size or fullness.

Usage considerations: Because it is subjective and informal, the term should be used cautiously in serious or clinical descriptions. When precision is required, more specific anatomical language—such as lip height, vermilion border definition, or the curvature of the Cupid’s bow—offers clearer description.

See also: lip anatomy, philtrum, upper lip, lip morphology, cosmetic surgery.