Dorian Gray effect

noun

Dorian Gray effect

noun

Etymology In reference to Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), describing a handsome young man who envies his own portrait and wishes that it would grow old, rather than he.

1

The phenomenon whereby a person's inner moods and emotions may come to influence their facial appearance.

Related terms
Dorian Gray syndrome

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.