The mask's expression was ferocious and frightening.
Tips
usage
狞 almost never stands alone — it lives in 狰狞 (hideous, savage) and 狞笑 (a menacing grin). Think of it as the word for a face twisted into something cruel.
Left-side beast radical, the side form of 犬 (dog). It marks animal-related and 'wild, beastly' characters; here it pushes the meaning toward an animal-like, savage fierceness rather than mere ugliness.
