frown
[verb]
Synonyms:
- scowl, glare, glower, knit one's brows, look daggers, lour or lower
- frown on: disapprove of, discourage, dislike, look askance at, take a dim view of

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Antonyms: smile
Contrasted words: grin, laugh
Related Idioms: look black, look daggers
Related Words: glare, grimace, pout, sulk

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English Thesaurus: expression, look, face, frown, smile, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. frown¹ /fraʊn/ verb [intransitive]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: froignier]
to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression, moving your eyebrows together:
She frowned as she read the letter.
frown at
Mattie frowned at him disapprovingly.
frown on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb
to disapprove of someone or something, especially someone’s behaviour:
Even though divorce is legal, it is still frowned upon.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. frown² noun [countable usually singular]
the expression on your face when you move your eyebrows together because you are angry, unhappy, or confused
with a frown
He looked at her with a puzzled frown.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

frown
noun
ADJ. deep, heavy | faint, quick, slight, small, tiny | puzzled, thoughtful, worried | angry, black, fierce, grim, warning | deepening
VERB + FROWN give The boy gave a small frown.
wear She wore a worried frown.
crease into, pucker into, wrinkle in Her face creased into a frown.
be drawn/draw together in His brows drew together in a frown.
FROWN + VERB deepen, grow darker/deeper Her frown grew deeper at the memory.
crease sth Her frown creased her forehead.
marr sth A frown marred his handsome features.
cross sth, touch sth A frown crossed her brow.
FROWN + NOUN line
PREP. with a ~ | ~ of a frown of concentration/disapproval/puzzlement
PHRASES a frown in your eyes He looked at her with a puzzled frown in his eyes.
a frown on your face

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

frown
verb
ADV. darkly, deeply, heavily, sharply | slightly | impatiently | thoughtfully She studied the letter, frowning thoughtfully.
PREP. at She turned and frowned at him.
in He looked at the coded message, frowning in concentration.
with He frowned with annoyance.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

expression a look on someone’s face that shows what they are thinking or feeling:
His expression became more serious as he listened to her story.
She had a contented expression.
He has a very different expression in the next picture.
look an expression – used especially with adjectives that describe the expression. Look sounds less formal than expression:
She had a sad look on her face.
With a look of relief, he handed her the baby.
What’s that look for?
She gave me a dirty look (=a look that showed she was angry).
face used when talking about someone’s expression, especially in the following phrases:
You should have seen his face!
Look at my face. Am I bothered?
The boys were making faces (=making strange, silly, or rude expressions which show that you dislike someone)through the window.
frown the expression on your face when you move your eyebrows together because you are angry, unhappy, or confused:
With a frown, she asked, ‘So what’s wrong with that?’
smile an expression in which your mouth curves upwards, when you are being friendly or are happy or amused:
She gave him a quick smile.
scowl an angry or disapproving expression:
There was a scowl of irritation on his face.
glare a long angry look:
He gave her a furious glare, but said nothing.
grimace an expression you make by twisting your face because you do not like something or because you are feeling pain:
His face twisted into a grimace of anguish.
sneer an expression that shows you have no respect for something or someone:
‘That’s what you said last time,’ she said with a sneer.
smirk an expression in which you smile in an unpleasant way that shows you are pleased by someone else’s bad luck or that you think you are better than other people:
He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
pout an expression in which you push out your lower lip because you are unhappy that you did not get what you want:
‘You’re going away?’ she said with a pout.
a common expression
'Pig out' is a common expression meaning 'to eat a lot'.
an old-fashioned/outdated expression
The old-fashioned expression 'in the family way' means to be pregnant.
an idiomatic expression (=an idiom )
Try to avoid using idiomatic expressions in an essay.
a figurative expression (=one in which words are not used with their literal meaning)
Many figurative expressions equate anger with heat.
a coarse/vulgar expression (=one that is rude)
He came out with some vulgar expressions that I couldn’t possibly repeat.
an American/English etc expression
She remembered the American expression her mother had always used: 'Life’s a breeze'.
pardon/forgive the expression (=used when you have said a word or phrase that might offend someone)
After the climb, we were absolutely knackered, if you’ll pardon the expression.
a means of expression
Art is not just a means of expression, it is also a means of communication.
a form of expression
Music and painting are two completely different forms of expression.
poetic/literary expression (=expressing something as poetry or in literature)
The subject does not easily lend itself to poetic expression.
musical expression (=expressing something through music)
Charlie Parker took jazz to a new level of musical expression.
artistic expression (=expressing something through art)
He firmly believes there are not enough outlets for artistic expression in our society.
creative expression (=expressing something in a creative way, for example in music or art)
They work with the children to encourage creative expression.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

look an act of looking at something:
Let me have a look at the map.
I took a quick look around the room.
glance a quick look at something before looking away again:
Susan cast a quick glance at me (=she looked quickly at me).
He could not resist a sidelong glance (=quickly looking to the side) to see what was happening on the other side of the road.
glimpse a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly:
Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.
I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
gaze a long steady look:
Eddie fixed his gaze on the floor.
She looked up and met his gaze (=looked at him when he was looking at her).
stare a long direct look, especially in an unfriendly way or in a way that shows you are surprised:
He was watching me with a cold stare.
My cheery ‘Good Morning’ was met with a blank stare (=a stare which shows no emotion).
glare an angry look at someone:
She gave him a hostile glare as he entered the room.
frown a confused or annoyed look:
‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

look to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them:
You should never look directly at the sun.
After a while, he turned and looked at me.
have/take a look especially spoken to look at something quickly, especially in order to find or check something:
I’ll have a look in my desk.
Take a look at this!
glance to look at someone or something for a short time and then look quickly away:
Damien glanced nervously at his watch.
peek/peep (also take a peek/peep) to look quickly at something. Used especially when you are not supposed to look, or when you are looking through a small gap:
The door was open so he peeked inside.
Katy peeped at her birthday present on the table.
peer to look very carefully, especially because you cannot see well:
Kenji was peering at the screen.
glare to look at someone in an angry way:
She glared at me as I got up to leave.
stare to look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes:
It’s rude to stare.
She stared straight into the camera.
gaze to look at someone or something for a long time, often without realizing that you are doing it:
She gazed out of the window.
He lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling.
gape to look at someone or something for a long time, usually with your mouth open, because you are very shocked or surprised:
People gaped at him with wide-open mouths.
regard formal to look at someone or something, especially in a particular way:
He regarded her steadily.
give somebody a stare
Doyle gave her a long stare.
fix somebody with a stare literary (=stare at someone)
He fixed her with a cool stare.
return sb’s stare (=stare back at them)
I returned his stare and he looked away.
meet sb’s stare (=look back at them)
Alan met Susan’s outraged stare calmly.
a hard stare (=very steady, with a lot of attention)
As he passed, he gave us a hard stare.
a long stare
The man fixed him with a long, deliberate stare.
a blank stare (=showing no emotion, understanding, or interest)
Mention his name, and you get mostly blank stares.
a vacant stare (=seeming not to notice or be thinking anything)
She was gazing out of the window with a vacant stare.
a fixed/unwavering/unblinking stare (=with your eyes not moving at all)
His unwavering stare was making me feel pretty uneasy.
a cold/stony stare (=unfriendly)
I smiled and said "hello" but only got a cold stare.
a cool stare (=calm)
When I expressed surprise, he responded with a cool stare.
curious stares
They ignored the curious stares directed at them.
glimpse a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly:
Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.
I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
frown a confused or annoyed look:
‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

look to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them:
You should never look directly at the sun.
After a while, he turned and looked at me.
have/take a look especially spoken to look at something quickly, especially in order to find or check something:
I’ll have a look in my desk.
Take a look at this!
glance to look at someone or something for a short time and then look quickly away:
Damien glanced nervously at his watch.
peek/peep (also take a peek/peep) to look quickly at something. Used especially when you are not supposed to look, or when you are looking through a small gap:
The door was open so he peeked inside.
Katy peeped at her birthday present on the table.
peer to look very carefully, especially because you cannot see well:
Kenji was peering at the screen.
glare to look at someone in an angry way:
She glared at me as I got up to leave.
stare to look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes:
It’s rude to stare.
She stared straight into the camera.
gaze to look at someone or something for a long time, often without realizing that you are doing it:
She gazed out of the window.
He lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling.
gape to look at someone or something for a long time, usually with your mouth open, because you are very shocked or surprised:
People gaped at him with wide-open mouths.
regard formal to look at someone or something, especially in a particular way:
He regarded her steadily.
give something/somebody a glance
He gave Imran a quick glance.
take a glance (also have a glance British English)
She took a quick glance around the office.
cast/throw a glance (=look quickly)
She cast a shy glance toward Shelby.
shoot a glance (=look extremely quickly)
He shot a glance at Ellen, making sure she understood him.
steal a glance (=look quickly and secretly)
Alice stole a quick glance in the mirror to check her hair.
exchange glances (=look at each other quickly)
Mai exchanged glances with Tatsuya.
sb’s glance falls on something (=someone looks at something)
Geoff’s glance fell on the broken vase.
a quick/brief glance
I had little time for more than a quick glance around the house.
a cursory glance (=a very quick look without much attention to details)
I cast a cursory glance over the clothes.
a fleeting glance (=a very quick look)
Stephen exchanged a fleeting glance with his father.
a backwards glance
He took a quick backwards glance at the house, and then continued walking.
a sidelong/sideways glance (=a way of looking by moving your eyes to the side)
Christina gave her husband a sidelong glance.
a casual glance (=without any serious interest or attention)
The bench would have been difficult to see by a casual glance.
a meaningful glance (=clearly showing what you think)
They exchanged meaningful glances.
a furtive glance (=a quick secret look)
Della gave Chris a furtive glance.
a nervous glance
He shot a nervous glance at his wife.
a warning glance
She cast a warning glance at Elena.
glimpse a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly:
Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.
I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
frown a confused or annoyed look:
‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

look to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them:
You should never look directly at the sun.
After a while, he turned and looked at me.
have/take a look especially spoken to look at something quickly, especially in order to find or check something:
I’ll have a look in my desk.
Take a look at this!
glance to look at someone or something for a short time and then look quickly away:
Damien glanced nervously at his watch.
peek/peep (also take a peek/peep) to look quickly at something. Used especially when you are not supposed to look, or when you are looking through a small gap:
The door was open so he peeked inside.
Katy peeped at her birthday present on the table.
peer to look very carefully, especially because you cannot see well:
Kenji was peering at the screen.
glare to look at someone in an angry way:
She glared at me as I got up to leave.
stare to look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes:
It’s rude to stare.
She stared straight into the camera.
gaze to look at someone or something for a long time, often without realizing that you are doing it:
She gazed out of the window.
He lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling.
gape to look at someone or something for a long time, usually with your mouth open, because you are very shocked or surprised:
People gaped at him with wide-open mouths.
regard formal to look at someone or something, especially in a particular way:
He regarded her steadily.
glimpse a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly:
Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.
I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
frown a confused or annoyed look:
‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

look to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them:
You should never look directly at the sun.
After a while, he turned and looked at me.
have/take a look especially spoken to look at something quickly, especially in order to find or check something:
I’ll have a look in my desk.
Take a look at this!
glance to look at someone or something for a short time and then look quickly away:
Damien glanced nervously at his watch.
peek/peep (also take a peek/peep) to look quickly at something. Used especially when you are not supposed to look, or when you are looking through a small gap:
The door was open so he peeked inside.
Katy peeped at her birthday present on the table.
peer to look very carefully, especially because you cannot see well:
Kenji was peering at the screen.
glare to look at someone in an angry way:
She glared at me as I got up to leave.
stare to look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes:
It’s rude to stare.
She stared straight into the camera.
gaze to look at someone or something for a long time, often without realizing that you are doing it:
She gazed out of the window.
He lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling.
gape to look at someone or something for a long time, usually with your mouth open, because you are very shocked or surprised:
People gaped at him with wide-open mouths.
regard formal to look at someone or something, especially in a particular way:
He regarded her steadily.
lower/drop your gaze (=look down)
Her eyes met his and she immediately dropped her gaze.
avert your gaze (=look away)
Miller averted his eyes from the beggars that lined the streets.
meet sb’s gaze (=look at someone who is looking at you)
He said nothing, but met her gaze.
hold sb’s gaze (=keep looking at someone who is looking at you)
He held her gaze for a few seconds, then continued eating.
avoid sb’s gaze (=not look at someone)
I avoided his gaze and just looked out of the window.
fix your gaze on somebody/something (=look at someone or something continuously)
He fixed his gaze on the wall behind her.
keep your gaze (fixed) on somebody/something (=keep looking at someone or something)
I kept my gaze fixed on the television and didn’t look at him as he left the room.
sb’s gaze falls on somebody/something (=someone looks at someone or something)
Fisher’s gaze fell on Mr. Grant.
sb’s gaze moves/travels/shifts/sweeps etc
His gaze travelled over the still water to the other side of the lake.
a steady gaze (=a look in which you do not look away)
Jess felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.
an intense gaze (=when someone looks at someone or something with concentration)
His intense gaze never left Delaney.
a piercing gaze (=a look that seems to see what you are thinking)
He fixed the boy with a piercing gaze and waited for his response.
a steely gaze (=a determined look)
He fixed a steely gaze on his opponent.
glimpse a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly:
Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.
I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
frown a confused or annoyed look:
‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

smile to make your mouth curve upwards, in order to be friendly or because you are happy or amused:
She smiled when she read his email.
‘I’m delighted to meet you,' George said, smiling at the girl.
grin to give a big smile:
The two boys were grinning at each other.
The coach was grinning from ear to ear (=was grinning a lot) when the team scored.
beam to give a big happy smile for a long time, because you are very pleased or proud:
She beamed with pride as her son collected the award.
The wedding couple were outside beaming at the camera.
smirk to smile in an unpleasant way, for example because you are pleased about someone else’s bad luck or because you know something that someone else does not know:
The children smirked when the teacher dropped all the books on the floor.
What are you smirking about?
simper disapproving written to smile in a silly and annoying way:
a group of simpering schoolgirls
I hated the way she simpered every time a man spoke to her.
give (somebody) a smile
The boy gave a friendly smile.
flash (somebody) a smile (=give a quick smile)
She flashed him a smile.
have a smile on your face/lips
They all had broad smiles on their faces.
be all smiles (=be happy or friendly and smile a lot)
One moment he’s all smiles, the next moment he shouts at me.
force/manage a smile (=smile when you do not really feel happy or friendly)
She forced a smile, but he could see disappointment in her face.
wear a smile (=have a smile on your face)
She wore a self-confident smile.
return sb’s smile (=smile back at someone)
I smiled at him, but he didn’t return my smile.
somebody breaks into a smile/sb’s face breaks into a smile (=they suddenly smile)
Anna’s face broke into a smile at the prospect of a guest.
a smile spreads across sb’s face (=they smile)
A faint smile spread across her face.
sb’s smile broadens (=it gets bigger)
His smile broadened when Sarah walked in.
sb’s smile fades/vanishes (=they stop smiling)
Her smile faded and a shaft of panic shot through her.
a big/broad/wide smile (=when you are very happy)
She had a big smile on her face.
a warm/friendly smile
Peter Leary welcomed Rachel with a warm smile.
a little/faint/slight smile
She gave him an apologetic little smile.
a quick smile
She gave him a quick smile.
a slow smile
A slow smile spread across his face.
a dazzling smile (=a big smile which shows someone’s white teeth)
When he came back she gave him her most dazzling smile.
a beaming/radiant smile (=when you are very happy)
‘I’m so pleased,’ she told him with a beaming smile.
a bright smile written (=when you look very happy, but you may not feel happy)
She forced a bright smile.
a tight smile written (=when you are not really happy or friendly)
As he stepped past Carson he gave a quick, tight smile of acknowledgement.
a wry smile written (=when a situation is bad but also amusing)
Guy’s mouth twisted into a wry smile.
a rueful smile written (=when you feel slightly sad)
‘I’ve been pretty stupid, haven’t I?’ Harry said with a rueful smile.
a knowing smile (=when you know something secret)
She wanted to smack him for his knowing smile.
frown the expression on your face when you move your eyebrows together because you are angry, unhappy, or confused:
With a frown, she asked, ‘So what’s wrong with that?’
scowl an angry or disapproving expression:
There was a scowl of irritation on his face.
glare a long angry look:
He gave her a furious glare, but said nothing.
grimace an expression you make by twisting your face because you do not like something or because you are feeling pain:
His face twisted into a grimace of anguish.
sneer an expression that shows you have no respect for something or someone:
‘That’s what you said last time,’ she said with a sneer.
pout an expression in which you push out your lower lip because you are unhappy that you did not get what you want:
‘You’re going away?’ she said with a pout.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲