Phrasal verb
frown on
Definition
phrasal verb. to disapprove of something or think it is a bad idea. You use this when people generally think a behavior is not acceptable.
phrasal verb. to disapprove of something; to view a particular action or behavior with disfavor. This phrasal verb is typically used in the passive voice to describe social norms or institutional policies.
Examples
“The company frowns on personal phone calls during work hours.”
“In many traditional offices, wearing casual clothes like jeans is still frowned on by the senior management.”
“While not strictly illegal, the practice of aggressive tax avoidance is increasingly frowned on by both the public and regulatory bodies.”
Examples
simple
“The company frowns on personal phone calls during work hours.”
contextual
“In many traditional offices, wearing casual clothes like jeans is still frowned on by the senior management.”
complex
“While not strictly illegal, the practice of aggressive tax avoidance is increasingly frowned on by both the public and regulatory bodies.”
Usage
often used in the passive voice ('is frowned on') to describe a general social or professional rule.
Teaching tip
point out that while 'frown' is a physical action, 'frown on' is figurative; it is a useful alternative to 'disapprove of' for discussing social etiquette.
Pitfall
The teacher frowned at the cheating.
The teacher frowned on the cheating.
'frown at' describes a physical facial expression directed at someone, while 'frown on' describes a general attitude of disapproval.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
frown + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/frown-on