Chinless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing an individual whose chin is not prominent in shape or visibility
2. Referring to a facial feature that lacks definition in the chin area, resulting in a less pronounced appearance
3. Characterized by a notably weak or receding chin that lacks prominence

Etymology: "Chinless" is about as transparent as English compounds get: it is simply "chin" with the suffix "-less," meaning "without." The base "chin" comes from Old English "cinn," and "-less" is the native English suffix that has been attaching to nouns to mean "lacking that thing" for centuries, as in "hopeless" or "careless." The word's main interest lies in its figurative life. Literally it describes a face with a weak or receding chin, but in British usage it has grown into a shorthand for a person who is feeble, indecisive, or lacking in character, often with an upper-class or ineffectual flavour. Someone described this way is not necessarily physically chinless at all; the term judges temperament through the face.

Synonyms: slender, gaunt, narrow, thin, emaciated

Antonyms: full-faced, broad, round, plump, chubby