เสียหน้า

Explanation

เสีย means “to lose or damage,” and หน้า means “face” or, figuratively, “social dignity.” Together, they express the idea of losing face. The word is not limited to feeling personally embarrassed. It emphasizes damage to one's dignity, reputation, or position in the eyes of other people. Common patterns include กลัวเสียหน้า “be afraid of losing face,” ทำให้คนอื่นเสียหน้า “make someone lose face,” and ไม่อยากให้เขาเสียหน้า “not want to make him lose face.” It is common in everyday Thai and is neither especially formal nor slangy.

Usage

It is commonly used when someone is criticized in public, openly rejected, unexpectedly defeated, or otherwise placed in a situation that damages their social standing. It is also used when discussing the need to avoid publicly embarrassing someone and to preserve that person's dignity.

Caution

อาย refers broadly to feeling shy, embarrassed, or ashamed, while เสียหน้า specifically concerns a loss of face in the eyes of others. Do not confuse it with หน้าเสีย, whose reversed word order means that someone's expression changes or falls because of shock or distress.

1 lose face synonyms

• ขายหน้า

  ขายหน้า often conveys the stronger idea of being disgracefully embarrassed or making a spectacle of oneself. เสียหน้า more directly emphasizes the loss of face or social dignity.

• อับอาย

  อับอาย emphasizes a person's inner sense of shame or humiliation. เสียหน้า focuses more on losing dignity or standing in the eyes of others.