Meaning & use
burrowed eyebrows
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Meanings
phrasepluralliterary
Eyebrows that are pulled together and down, usually showing deep thought, worry, or anger.
Grammar: Always plural because eyebrows come in pairs. Used as a noun phrase: his burrowed eyebrows.
Patterns
- with burrowed eyebrows
- his/her burrowed eyebrows
- burrowed eyebrows suggesting worry
She listened with burrowed eyebrows, trying to understand the complicated instructions.
His burrowed eyebrows showed that he was not convinced by the explanation.
The child looked up with burrowed eyebrows, confused by the sudden change in plans.
phrasepluralliterary
Eyebrows that appear deeply set or hidden, as if they have moved back into the face.
Grammar: Used mainly in descriptive writing. Often followed by 'over' or 'above': burrowed eyebrows over deep-set eyes.
Patterns
- burrowed eyebrows over something
- deeply burrowed eyebrows
The old man's burrowed eyebrows gave him a permanent look of suspicion.
In the dim light, her burrowed eyebrows made her eyes seem even darker.
Common combinations
- with burrowed eyebrows
- He stared at the puzzle with burrowed eyebrows.
- burrowed eyebrows and a frown
- Her burrowed eyebrows and a frown told me she disagreed.
- deeply burrowed eyebrows
- The portrait showed a stern face with deeply burrowed eyebrows.
Synonyms and how they differ
- furrowed eyebrows
- Much more common and standard; it means eyebrows with deep lines, often from worry or concentration.
- knitted eyebrows
- Also common; it emphasizes the eyebrows being drawn together, usually in anger or thought.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: burrowed eyebrows or furrowed eyebrows?
burrowed eyebrows vs furrowed eyebrows
'Furrowed' is the usual word for eyebrows pulled together in worry or thought. 'Burrowed' is less common and may suggest hiding or digging, so it can sound unusual in everyday writing.
Practice
She read the letter with ______, clearly worried about its contents.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is plural because eyebrows come in pairs, and 'burrowed' is the past participle used as an adjective. 'Burrowed eyebrow' is singular and would need 'a' or 'an', 'burrowing eyebrows' suggests the eyebrows are actively digging, and 'burrow eyebrows' is a verb phrase that does not fit after 'with'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “burrowed eyebrows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.