230 Powerful Words Describing Facial Expression In Performance

Here is an updated list of 230 words describing facial expression in performance which should prove useful for students of drama and theatre.

Often as part of their coursework, students undertake a written analysis of a live theatre performance. Part of this task normally involves evaluating the actors’ use of expressive skills.

Drama and theatre students are often required to analyse and evaluate their own solo or ensemble work developed in the classroom. These written pieces may form part of a regular drama journal kept on a class-by-class or weekly basis. Occasionally, performance analyses are also written for formal assessment or on end of semester examinations. These tasks commonly involve describing the use of facial expressions by one or more performers.

Ever found yourself repeating the same old words or phrases in a class essay about how an actor used facial expressions in a performance? For years I received them same old responses from my drama and theatre students. How many times can you say she had a furrowed brow, pursed lips, or conveyed a gentle glance to another character on stage? Don’t worry. You’re not alone! I soon realised this was my fault as their teacher because I did not provide my students with a set of powerful words describing facial expression in performance, beyond our frequently used phrases.

Students of drama and theatre often find those tiny movements of lips, eyes, cheeks and skin notoriously difficult to describe. Part of the problem lies in the fact that they are so small. It’s relatively easy to describe an actor’s movement on stage because it is usually clearly visible and easily interpreted. But not so with facial expressions.

While musical theatre is renowned for having actors use large facial expressions to convey emotion, straight dramas are another challenge altogether. Subtle use of facial expression is often deliberate in stage plays and can convey a lot about a character. But once you have spotted them, how do you describe them in detail, academically, and without sounding clichéd?

This curated list of words below should prove helpful for students trying to successfully describe an actor’s use facial expression in performance. If you are unsure of the meaning of a particular word on the list, look it up in the dictionary at the bottom of the table.

230 Powerful Words Describing Facial Expression In Performance

absent	faded	prudish
aggressive	faint	puckered
agonised	fake	pursed
alluring	fixed	puzzled
almond	flared	quivering
angry	flushed	quizzical
angular	fluttering	radiant
anxious	frustrated	regretful
apologetic	full	relieved
appealing	furrowed	roguish
bashful	furtive	round
batted	gazing	sad
beaming	gentle	sardonic
befuddled	glancing	satisfied
bilious	glaring	scarlet
black	glazed	scornful
blank	gleaming	scowled
blazing	glossy	scrunched
bleak	glowing	searching
blissful	grave	set
blithe	grieving	shamefaced
blue-eyed	grim	sheepish
bored	grimacing	shocked
brooding	guilty	slack-jawed
brown-eyed	happy	slanting
bug-eyed	hard	sly
bulging	haunted	small
burning	haunting	smile
calculating	heart-shaped	smirked
cautious	honest	smooth
chagrined	hopeless	smug
cheeky	horrified	snarling
cheerful	hostile	solemn
cheerless	hot	sombre
choleric	hunted	sorrowful
clenched	hurt	sour
cold	hysterical	sparkling
compassionate	idiotic	squinted
composed	impassive	squinty
concealed	indifferent	stern
concentrating	innocent	stolid
confident	inscrutable	straight-faced
cool	interested	sulky
coy	jeering	sullen
creased	joyful	surly
crestfallen	keen	surprised
crimson	knitted	sweet
crinkled	languid	sympathetic
curious	leering	taunting
curved	lifted	taut
dark	lonely	tear-filled
deadpan	lovestruck	tense
deceitful	masked	thick
dejected	meaningful	thin
demure	meditative	thoughtful
derisive	mesmerising	tight
despondent	mild	tight-lipped
determined	mischievous	trembling
disappointed	miserable	troubled
disapproving	moody	turned up
disbelieving	morose	twisted
disgusted	mournful	twitching
distasteful	negative	undecided
doleful	obstinate	vacant
dour	optimistic	veiled
downcast	oval	wary
dreamy	pained	weary
drooped	pale	white
ecstatic	pallid	wide-eyed
enraged	paranoid	withdrawn
envious	peeved	withering
etched	perplexed	woeful
evil	petulant	wolfish
evil-looking	piercing	worried
exasperated	pitying	wrathful
exhausted	pleading	wrinkled
expressionless	pouting	wry

Not sure of the meaning of a word on the list? Highlight the word and right-click in your browser to look it up or use an online dictionary.