Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

to-be-written-all-over-someones-face

idiom

/tə bi ˈrɪtən ɔl ˈoʊvər ˈsʌmˌwʌnz feɪs/

Definition

A phrase used to indicate that someone’s feelings or emotions are very obvious, usually through their facial expressions.

Examples

When she heard the news, it was written all over her face that she was disappointed.
You could see that he was nervous; the anxiety was written all over his face.
Her excitement was to be written all over her face when she saw her surprise party.

Meaning

The phrase suggests that a person’s thoughts or reactions can be easily discerned by observing their face, as if their emotions were literally written there for everyone to see.