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frown Definition

frown (fro̵un)

intransitive verb

  1. to contract the brows, as in displeasure or concentrated thought
  2. to look with displeasure or disapproval (on or upon)

Etymology: ME frounen < OFr frognier < froigne, sullen face < Gaul *frogna, nostrils, akin to OIr srón, nose

transitive verb

  1. Now Rare to silence, subdue, etc. with a disapproving look
  2. to express (disapproval, disgust, etc.) by frowning

noun

  1. a contracting of the brows in sternness, thought, etc.
  2. any expression of displeasure or disapproval

frown Related Forms

frowner noun frown·ingly adverb

frown Synonyms

frown

n.

scowl, grimace, glower, glare, pout, wry face, gloomy countenance, forbidding aspect, stern visage, dirty look*.

frown Synonyms

frown

v.

scowl, grimace, lower, make a wry face, pout, glare, look black, knit the brow, sulk, glower, gloom, look stern, look daggers*.

Antonyms smile*, laugh*, grin.

frown Usage Examples

Object

  • face: Father Brown looked him full in his frowning face.
  • providence: Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace, Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

Converse of object

  • puzzle: Part 1 Chapter 1 - in which Four go through The Big Round Thing Sergeant Davis stared at the monitor with a puzzled frown.
  • wear: None of them, she noticed, seemed to wear a frown.

Adjective modifier

  • slight: She paced forward with a slight frown on her face.
  • dark: Then with a dark frown on her face she turned to one of the two telephones beside her and picked up the receiver.
  • deep: But his smile melted into a deep frown as he uttered the next few words wistfully.
  • angry: Looking up from the white surface of the link table, Stephanie met Roger's angry frown with one of her own.

Modifies a noun

  • line: For some, the eye starts to close first, for others, the smile or frown lines start to come back.
  • :(: Smilies are keyboard characters used to convey an emotion, such as a smile: ) or a frown:(.

Modifying Another Word

  • thoughtfully: He was frowning thoughtfully at three or four white pills or pellets that lay in a small tray beside a bottle of water.
  • slightly: Obviously I went to little school then I went on to Aylesbury Grammar School, and there acting was slightly frowned upon.
  • severely: Meanwhile, in school the use of regional dialects was severely frowned upon.
  • heavily: The town names were changed in 1917 - but in 1915 the schools were closed, church services were heavily frowned upon.
  • deeply: Setting is limited to about 12- 14 tables and they frown deeply on folk taking too long to eat thier meal.
  • generally: Beacon in the Dark The term 'the Dark Ages' is generally frowned upon by modern scholars.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • upon: Shorts are frowned upon, whether for men or women.
  • down: It wasn't that premarital sex was frowned down upon by my people, nor even disapproved of exactly.

Used with why or when

when: But he frowned when he saw me and shook his head.

Preposition: of

concentration: Deep lines on his forehead mark his frown of concentration.

Browse dictionary entries near frown

  1. froward
  2. frow
  3. frounce
  4. froufrou
  5. Froude,James Anthony
  6. Froude
  7. frottage
  8. frothy
  9. froth
  10. frosty
  1. frowning
  2. frowst
  3. frowsty
  4. frowzy
  5. froze
  6. frozen
  7. frozen account
  8. frozen custard
  9. Frs
  10. frt