frown
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to move your eyebrows together so that lines appear on your forehead, usually because you are unhappy or thinking.
v.to contract the brow by drawing the eyebrows together, typically expressing displeasure, confusion, or intense concentration.
Simple“The teacher frowned at the noisy students until the room became quiet.”
In context“She frowned at the complex legal document, struggling to decipher the dense terminology and conflicting clauses.”
UsageIntransitive; often followed by 'at' when directed toward a person or object.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to think that something is wrong or bad.
v.to view something with formal or social disapproval; almost exclusively used in the phrasal construction 'frown on' or 'frown upon'.
Simple“In this office, wearing jeans to a meeting is generally frowned upon.”
In context“The company's board of directors frowned upon the CEO's aggressive acquisition strategy, fearing it would overextend their financial reserves.”
UsageUsually occurs in the passive voice as 'is frowned upon'.
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.the look on your face when you move your eyebrows together.
n.a facial expression characterized by the furrowing of the brow, indicating worry, anger, or deep thought.
Simple“He had a deep frown on his face as he tried to fix the broken computer.”
In context“A slight frown creased her forehead as she listened to the contradictory testimony provided by the witness.”
UsageCountable noun; frequently used with the verbs 'wear' or 'have'.
From Middle English frown, froun (“a threatening appearance; lowering of the clouds”), from frounen (“to frown”). See below.
From Middle English frounen (“to frown as an expression of disapproval, displeasure, shame, fear, or jealousy”), from Old French frognier (“to frown or scowl”), from Gaulish frognā (“nostril”), from Proto-Celtic srognā.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.