1.
shameless; thick-skinned; brazen
Describes a person who is impervious to embarrassment or criticism, acting without shame even when their behavior is clearly inappropriate. Literally means 'the skin of one's face is thick.'
あの人は面の皮が厚い。
That person is shameless.
嘘がばれても平気でいられるなんて、面の皮が厚い。
Being able to stay calm even when caught in a lie — how shameless.
自分のミスを人のせいにしておいて、まだ面の皮が厚く居座っている。
Even after blaming their own mistakes on others, they're brazenly staying put.
Literally "the skin of one's face is thick" — a vivid idiom meaning someone is so brazen that criticism bounces right off them. Always used negatively, to criticize someone who acts without shame. The word 面 is a rougher, more colloquial way to say 顔 (face).
USAGE:
Almost always used to criticize or express exasperation at someone's shamelessness. Can be used as a predicate (面の皮が厚い) or as a modifier (面の皮が厚く...).
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 厚かましい: impudent, brazen — a direct adjective meaning shameless; less idiomatic
- 図々しい: brazen, nervy — similar meaning; slightly more colloquial
- 恥知らず: shameless person — a noun directly calling someone shameless
- 鉄面皮: brazen-faced — more literary; literally "iron face skin"