rich face
- noun
- Literature
:
cara rica
- She admired the rich face in the old portrait, imagining his life story.
Examples
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The actor's rich face made him perfect for dramatic roles.
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The photographer sought subjects with a rich face to add depth to his project.
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The painting of the old man had a rich face full of stories.
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She has a rich face that reflects her life experiences.
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The artist captured the essence of the man through his rich face, which told tales of hardship and joy.
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In the play, the character's rich face conveyed a deep emotional struggle that resonated with the audience.
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As she gazed at the sculpture, she was drawn to the rich face that portrayed a lifetime of wisdom and experience.
How Expressive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'a face that shows depth, character, or expressiveness' is directly built from 'rich' (full, vivid, possessing depth or intensity) modifying 'face' (the visible expression). This is a standard adjective+noun compositional pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents and sees the phrase in context can readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Rich face comes from comparing a person's face to a rich painting or cloth that has strong color and many small details, so you picture a face full of lines and expression. That's why a rich face now means a face that 'shows depth' and is 'full of character'.