com·plex·ion

(kəm-plĕk′shən)

1. The natural color, texture, and appearance of the skin, especially of the face.

2. General character, aspect, or appearance: findings that will alter the complexion of the problem.

3. A viewpoint, inclination, or attitude: a conservative political complexion.

4. The combination of the four humors of cold, heat, moistness, and dryness in specific proportions, thought in ancient and medieval physiology to control the temperament and the constitution of the body.

[Middle English complexioun, physical constitution, from Old French complexion, from Late Latin complexiō, complexiōn-, balance of the humors, from Latin, combination, from complexus, past participle of complectī, to entwine; see complect.]

com·plex′ion·al adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

complexion

(kəmˈplɛkʃən)

1. the colour and general appearance of a person's skin, esp of the face

2. aspect, character, or nature: the general complexion of a nation's finances.

3. obsolete

a. the temperament of a person

b. the temperature and general appearance of the body

[C14: from medical Latin complexiō one's bodily characteristics, from Latin: a combination, from complectī to embrace; see complex]

comˈplexional adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

com•plex•ion

(kəmˈplɛk ʃən)

n.

1. the natural color, texture, and appearance of the skin, esp. of the face.

2. appearance; aspect; character: This testimony put a different complexion on things.

3. viewpoint, attitude, or conviction: one's political complexion.

4. (in medieval physiology) the constitution or nature of body and mind, regarded as the result of certain combined qualities.

[1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin complexiō constitution, temperament, Latin: combination, group, literally, the act of embracing. See complex, -tion]

com•plex′ion•al, adj.

Complexion

See Also: SKIN, WRINKLES

A blotchy complexion like salami —Jilly Cooper
The cluster of red veins, like Rorschach patterns, sticking out on his cheeks —Henry Van Dyke
Complexion … as red as a boiled shrimp —Kenzaburo Oë
Complexion … as smooth as white mushrooms —Bobbie Ann Mason
Complexion dark as cholera —Cynthia Ozick
Complexion like a choir boy’s —Robert Campbell
A complexion like the blossoms of apples —W. B. Yeats
A complexion like the moon at short range —Harry Prince
Complexion … like the skin on porridge —Frank Swinnerton
Complexion like twelve-year-old Scotch going down —Loren D. Estleman
Complexion the color of porridge —Christopher Isherwood
Complexion, which had become pale in the dimness of the house … shone as if it had been varnished —Guy de Maupassant
Face glistened as if it were covered with scar tissue from a newly healed burn —Kenzaburo Oë
Face … pock-marked like a wall against which men had stood to take the bullets of a firing squad —Penelope Gilliatt
Her complexion in its pallor showed clear as a lily petal —Ethel Cook Eliot
His face had an unnatural smoothness as though it were massaged and nourished with cold creams —W. Somerset Maugham
Suntan that looks like it was done on a rotisserie —Tom Wolfe Wolfe is describing actor Cary Grant.
The thin veins on his massive cheeks were like the engraving on giltedged securities —Ludwig Bemelmans
A tracery of red veins, distinct as mapped rivers and tributaries, showed on his cheeks —Anne Tyler

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	complexion - the coloring of a person's face skin color, skin colour color, coloring, colouring, colour - a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect; "a white color is made up of many different wavelengths of light" blondness, paleness, fairness - the property of having a naturally light complexion ruddiness, rosiness - a healthy reddish complexion achromasia, lividness, paleness, pallidness, pallor, wanness, luridness, lividity - unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress) sallowness - a sickly yellowish skin color tawniness - the quality or state of being the color of tanned leather; "the tawniness of his complexion" swarthiness, duskiness, darkness - a swarthy complexion whiteness - lightness or fairness of complexion; "only the whiteness of her cheeks gave any indication of the stress from which she was suffering"
	2.	complexion - a combination that results from coupling or interlinking; "diphthongs are complexions of vowels" combination - a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities
	3.	complexion - a point of view or general attitude or inclination; "he altered the complexion of his times"; "a liberal political complexion" point of view, standpoint, viewpoint, stand - a mental position from which things are viewed; "we should consider this problem from the viewpoint of the Russians"; "teaching history gave him a special point of view toward current events"
	4.	complexion - texture and appearance of the skin of the face appearance, visual aspect - outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
	5.	complexion - (obsolete) a combination of elements (of dryness and warmth or of the four humors) that was once believed to determine a person's health and temperament nature - the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions; "it is his nature to help others" archaicism, archaism - the use of an archaic expression
Verb	1.	complexion - give a certain color to; "The setting sun complexioned the hills" tinct, tint, tinge, touch - color lightly; "her greying hair was tinged blond"; "the leaves were tinged red in November"

complexion

noun

1. skin, colour, colouring, hue, skin tone, pigmentation She had short brown hair and a pale complexion.

2. nature, character, make-up, cast, stamp, disposition The political complexion of the government has changed.

3. perspective, look, light, appearance, aspect, angle, slant This latest development puts a different complexion on things.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

complexion

noun

1. Skin tone, especially of the face:

color, coloring.

2. The combination of emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities that distinguishes an individual:

character, disposition, makeup, nature, personality.

3. A person's customary manner of emotional response:

disposition, humor, nature, temper, temperament.

Translations

بَشَرَةلَوْن البَشَرَه

barva pletipleťpokožka

teinthudfarve

ihonväri

put

arcszín

litarháttur, hörundslitur

carnagione colorito modo di vedere apparenza aspetto

顔色

안색

sejas krāsa

ผิว

derinin doğal rengiten

nước da

肤色脸色面色

complexion

[kəmˈplekʃən] N → tez f, cutis m; (in terms of colour) → tez f, piel f (fig) → cariz m, aspecto m
that puts a different complexion on it → eso le da otro cariz or aspecto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

complexion

[kəmˈplɛkʃ^ən] n

[face] → teint m

(= nature) [event] → aspect m, caractère m

complexion

→ Teint m; (= skin colour) → Gesichtsfarbe f

(fig: = aspect) → Anstrich m, → Aspekt m; to put a new/different etc complexion on something → etw in einem neuen/anderen etc Licht erscheinen lassen; of a different political/religious complexion → mit anderen politischen/religiösen Anschauungen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

complexion

[kəmˈplɛkʃ/ən] n (of face) → carnagione f (fig) (aspect, appearance) → aspetto
that puts a different complexion on it (fig) → ciò fa apparire la cosa sotto tutta un'altra luce or tutto un altro aspetto

complexion

(kəmˈplekʃən) noun

the colour or appearance of the skin especially of the face. a beautiful complexion.

complexion

→ بَشَرَة barva pleti teint Teint απόχρωση επιδερμίδας tez ihonväri teint put carnagione 顔色 안색 huidskleur ansiktsfarge cera cor da pele, tez цвет лица hy ผิว ten nước da 面色

com·plex·ion

n. cutis, complexión, tez.

complexion

n cutis m, tez f