set one's face against

English

Verb

set one's face against (third-person singular simple present sets one's face against, present participle setting one's face against, simple past and past participle set one's face against)

1. (chiefly UK) To oppose strenuously; to determine not to do or accept.
   • 1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 10, page 232:

     As these gatherings generally ended in drunkenness and rough and dangerous fun, the ministers set their faces against the observance, and were seconded in their efforts by the more intelligent and well-behaved in the community.

Further reading

• “set your face against something” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “set one's face against”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “set your face against something” (US) / “set your face against something” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.