noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfeɪsˌplɑːnt/
General-American:/ˈfeɪsˌplænt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of landing face first, as a result of an accident or error.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
The skater slipped off his board and did a painful faceplant.
2024 February 17, Sharon Adarlo, “AI Hiring Tools are Ignoring Qualified Candidates, Expert Says”https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-ignoring-qualified-candidates, The_Byte, futurism.com These kind of recruiting resources faceplants are likely to multiply as more businesses adopt these tools for the hiring process.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Death or defeat in a multiplayer online game.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: video-games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A wrestling move in which an attacking wrestler forces an opponent down to the mat face-first without a headlock or facelock.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war, wrestling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: facebuster
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To land face first.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, intransitive, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eat it, eat shit
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To completely fumble or fail in an activity, usually in a spectacular fashion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From face + plant (“place, set firmly”). Originally skateboarding and snowboarding slang, a humorous variant of handplant, which is an intentional technique in these sports.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish:
mahalasku
— act of landing face first
German:
Auf-die-Schnauze-Fliegen
— act of landing face first
German:
Auf-die-Fresse-Fallen
— act of landing face first
Hungarian:
pofára esés
— act of landing face first
Russian:
паде́ние n лицом вниз
(licom)
— act of landing face first
Spanish:
plantación de rostro
— act of landing face first
Spanish:
plantío de pico
— act of landing face first
Finnish:
kaatua naamalleen
— to land face first
Finnish:
tehdä mahalasku
— to land face first
French:
se planter la gueule
— to land face first
French:
se péter la gueule
— to land face first
German:
auf die Fresse fliegen
— to land face first
German:
auf die Schnauze fallen
— to land face first
Hungarian:
pofára esik
— to land face first
Malayalam:
മൂക്കുംകുത്തി വീഴുക
(mūkkuṅkutti vīḻuka)
— to land face first
Russian:
па́дать лицом вниз
(licom)
— to land face first
Russian:
впечататься лицом
(vpečatatʹsja licom)
— to land face first
