war paint
1
5.5
- noun
- /wɔr peɪnt/
- Informal
:
maquillaje
- After putting on her war paint, she felt ready to face the crowd.
Examples
-
The artist transformed herself, using vibrant war paint to enhance her features for the performance.
-
Who's the war paint for? #VERNA#
Fiction book (1990) -
We get dressed up in war paint and whoop around like idiots.
-
And war paint that makes him seem, if that's possible, even more frightening.
Fiction book (1994) -
Maybe the hair is a little different, but you'll see that's Lavonia herself under all that war paint.
-
They're in war paint.
Fiction book (1992) -
Then the door slowly opened, and there stood Eleanor, wrapped in a patterned silk kimono, with all her war paint on.
Fiction book (1995) -
She felt confident as she applied her war paint before the big presentation.
Synonyms
519
1.3
Products you put on your face to change how you look
How Dramatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning arises from a metaphorical extension: 'war' (readiness for battle) combined with 'paint' (cosmetic) signals makeup worn like armour to face a challenge. A B1 learner who knows both words can probably infer a literal or figurative sense (paint used for battle or performance), but the informal nuance of ‘makeup to boost confidence before an event’ is culturally conditioned and not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
War paint is also used as a joke for everyday makeup because people think of war as a challenge and paint as something you put on like 'armor'. Wearing it can help someone feel ready and brave, so it means 'makeup that gives confidence'.