to break someone's face - Glite Dictionary

Examples

Don't break his face!
If you ever lie to me again, I swear I'll break your face.
She shouted at the intruder, warning she would break his face if he took another step.
He threatened to break her face if she didn't stop.
If you keep talking back to me, I swear I'll break your face.
He was so angry that he threatened to break my face if I didn't apologize.
During the heated argument, she shouted that she would break his face if he didn't stop provoking her.

Synonyms

to assault

vsto break someone's face

126 4.7

To attack someone physically or try to hurt them

is an informal face directed threat used to intimidate rather than formal attack

to beat the shit out of

vsto break someone's face

Offensive

53 9.9

To hurt or defeat someone very badly, often by hitting them

is a threat focused on injuring the face for intimidation rather than broad defeat

to assail

vsto break someone's face

Formal

16 8.0

To attack violently, upset someone deeply or criticize them strongly

is a casual threat aimed at the face rather than a general forceful attack

to bash in

vsto break someone's face

NSFW

13 7.5

Hit something hard so it breaks or opens

is a threat to injure the face rather than an actual violent strike

to rip someone's head off

vsto break someone's face

Offensive

1 8.5

Shout at someone in a very angry way and threaten them

is a threat to injure the face in physical terms rather than only shouting

to rip your face off

vsto break someone's face

Offensive

1 9.9

To threaten to hurt someone very badly

is a threat to injure the face mainly to intimidate rather than seek revenge

to smash someone's face in

vsto break someone's face

Offensive

1 9.8

Hit someone in the face very hard to hurt them

is a threat to injure the face instead of immediately carrying out severe violence

to rearrange someone's face

vsto break someone's face

Offensive

9.9

Hit someone's face hard so it looks damaged

is a verbal threat to injure the face rather than actual physical hitting

to bash someone's face in

vsto break someone's face

NSFW

9.9

To hit someone's face very hard to hurt them

is a threatening promise to injure the face rather than the actual violent act

to smash the head

vsto break someone's face

Offensive

8.8

Hit a person's head very hard and cause serious injury

targets the face specifically rather than the whole head, so focus differs

to pitch into

vsto break someone's face

NSFW

7.8

To attack someone with your body or with strong words

is usually a direct threat to injure the face, not a general attack phrase

Antonyms

to defend

∞ 1.3

To protect people and things from attack or harm

How Violent

to disfigure

31 5.8

to break someone's face

Offensive

9.9

to punch

455 1.4

to slap

492 1.0

to threaten

987 3.3

to intimidate

294 4.9

Surface Forms

break someone's face infinitive

broke someone's face past

broken someone's face past participle

breaking someone's face present participle

breaks someone's face third person singular

Morphology

break + someone's + face

The meaning is directly and literally derived from the constituents: 'break' (to damage) applied to 'someone's face' (the front part of the head), so a learner who knows those words can infer it means to injure a person's face. Although informal and threatening in register, the composition is compositional and cross-linguistically plausible, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

The phrase break someone's face comes from a literal image: hitting someone's face so hard that the bones could break. That's why it is used to mean 'to threaten to hurt someone's face' or 'to scare someone'.