in the face of (something)
1. In spite of; notwithstanding. Some people still believe the medication to be harmful, even in the face of thousands of scientific studies proving otherwise. In the face of the boss's disapproval, we decided to go forward with the project anyway. I can't believe you would do something so dangerous in the face of our warnings.
2. When threatened by or confronted with. It's hard to be an optimist in the face of so much tragedy and turmoil in the news each day. No, we didn't end up making it to the wedding—not in the face of a hurricane and cancelled flights. How do you respond in the face of adversity? Do you get back up and keep fighting?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
in the face of
1. Despite the opposition of, notwithstanding, as in
In the face of published statistics, they insist there is no flu epidemic. [Early 1800s] Also see
fly in the face of.
2. When confronted with, as in It is hard for brokers to be cheerful in the face of a falling stock market. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.