2 meanings
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1 —as in:
a pleasant countenance
Definition
facial expression; or face; or composure- She has a pleasant countenance.
countenance = facial expression; or face
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- Her countenance grew stern.
- the heart of man is written upon his countenanceHenry Wadsworth Longfellow
- The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.Marcus Tullius Cicero
- both the frown and the smile passed successively over his countenance.Nathaniel Hawthorne -- The House of the Seven Gables
- She had a stern countenance and was critical-looking.Amy Tan -- The Bonesetter's Daughter
- Miss Maudie answered: "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance!"Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- One word or look from you ... and I'll tear the countenance from the front of your head.Frank McCourt -- Angela's Ashes
- I raised my eyes to look at my father's face leaning over mine, to try to discover a smile or something resembling one upon the aged, dried-up countenance.Elie Wiesel -- Night
- He looked at me with a confused expression on his countenance and...Jim Stovall -- The Ultimate Gift
countenance = facial expression
countenance = face or facial expression
countenance = facial expression
countenance = facial expression; or face
countenance = face or facial expression
countenance = face
countenance = face
2 —as in:
giving countenance
Definition
to tolerate, approve, or show favor or support- We will not countenance torture.
countenance = to tolerate or approve
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- They countenance and support terrorism.
- I shall certainly not do anything to give the impression that I countenance your behaviour.Edith Wharton -- The House of Mirth
- He disagreed with Reb Saunders, yes, but he would countenance no slander against his name or his position.Chaim Potok -- The Chosen
- But no Court of Justice could countenance such a view.Alan Paton -- Cry, the Beloved Country
- But expect no help nor countenance from me.C.S. Lewis -- The Horse and His Boy
- This was extravagant and not to be countenanced.John Steinbeck -- The Pearl
- Sethe's crime was staggering and her pride outstripped even that; but she could not countenance the possibility of sin moving on in the house, unleashed and sassy.Toni Morrison -- Beloved
- I have never countenanced an effort ... to disturb the arrangement as originally made, by which various States came into the Union.Henry David Thoreau -- Resistance to Civil Government
- ...would render him no countenance or assistance.Charles Dickens -- Nicholas Nickleby
countenance = show favor for or support
countenance = approve
countenance = tolerate, or show favor or support
countenance = tolerate or approve
countenance = tolerance, approval, or support
countenanced = tolerated
countenance = tolerate or approve
countenanced = approved or shown favor for
countenance = approval (or show of favor)
Less commonly:
More rarely, in addition to facial expression, countenance can refer to one's posture and other visible features.