whiteface
noun
white·face
| \ ˈhwīt-ˌfās
, ˈwīt-\
, ˈwīt-\
Definition of whiteface
2
: dead-white facial makeup
a clown in whiteface
Examples of whiteface in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While catering to audiences unaccustomed to seeing African-American performers in European opera houses, Mr. Ray sometimes performed in whiteface. — Colin Campbell, baltimoresun.com, "William Benjamin Ray Sr., opera star, civil rights activist, former Peabody Conservatory professor, dies at 94," 14 July 2019 And to top it all off, someone — not Donald Glover, and not Lakeith Stanfield, but someone — sat calmly in quasi-whiteface as Atlanta character Teddy Perkins, without saying a word throughout the ceremony. — Devon Maloney, The Verge, "Hollywood had a breakdown trying to justify itself at the 2018 Emmys," 18 Sep. 2018 The other is 50 years in the future after China has assumed world dominance and consists of a full-blown musical complete with a singing and dancing Hillary Clinton and a chorus of 19 Asians in whiteface. — Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Soft Power’s’ Hwang, Tesori talk about their hit musical at SF Asian film fest," 21 May 2018 For seemingly no reason at all, a kid in crude whiteface smirks ghoulishly from the back of Vanessa's classroom. — Michelle Ofiwe, Esquire, "How Donald Glover Changed the Way Black Stories Are Told on Television," 10 Nov. 2016 No wonder his final role in this play is as a maddened King Lear – played in whiteface. — Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'Red Velvet' evokes a black actor who made history," 12 Dec. 2017 There is nothing wrong with wearing whiteface, trust me. — Michael Harriot, The Root, "The Caucasian's Guide To Halloween Costumes," 28 Oct. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whiteface.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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