Poker Face Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms poker face American

noun

1. an expressionless face.

   He can tell a funny story with a poker face.

2. a person who has or deliberately assumes a poker face.

   It is impossible to tell what that poker face is really thinking.

poker face British

noun

1. informal a face without expression, as that of a poker player attempting to conceal the value of his cards

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 poker face Idioms

1. A visage lacking any expression that can be interpreted, as in Whenever Betty attended one of her children's performances, she managed to keep a poker face. This term alludes to the facial expression of a poker player who is expert at concealing his feelings about his hand. [c. 1880]

Other Word Forms

• poker-faced adjective

Etymology

Origin of poker face

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Videos and memes of Stephen's somewhat unconvincing poker face have gone viral, with clips of his dramatic facial expressions also being widely shared.

From BBC

“And I’m just sitting there trying to keep a poker face: ‘Oh, OK, tell me more.’”

From Los Angeles Times

But one thing Russia's president does not have is a poker face.

From BBC

"What a rollercoaster. I was awful at lying, I had no poker face and here I am a winner," Carr said.

From BBC

Steve Clarke's poker face remained intact, his demeanour telling you nothing about how dreadful a night this was for himself and his team.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.