Meaning & use
frown
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To pull your eyebrows together so that lines appear on your forehead, usually showing worry, anger or deep thought.
Grammar: No object; often followed by at: frown at the screen.
Patterns
- frown at someone
- frown at something
- frown in concentration
She frowned at the confusing map.
He frowned when he heard the price.
The teacher frowned and shook her head.
verbphrasal verb
To disapprove of something, in the phrase frown on or frown upon.
Grammar: Needs upon or on, and is often used in the passive: frowned upon.
Patterns
- frown on something
- frown upon something
- be frowned upon
Loud phone calls are frowned upon in the library.
Many workplaces frown on lateness.
Chewing gum in class used to be frowned upon.
nouncountable
An expression made by pulling the eyebrows together, showing displeasure, worry or concentration.
Grammar: A frown is the opposite of a smile.
Patterns
- a frown of concentration
- with a frown
A deep frown crossed his face as he read the letter.
She answered with a frown and said nothing.
His frown turned into a smile when he saw the gift.
Word forms
| third person singular | frowns |
|---|---|
| past tense | frowned |
| past participle | frowned |
| -ing form | frowning |
| plural | frowns |
Common combinations
- frown at
- She frowned at the noisy children.
- frown in concentration
- He frowned in concentration over the puzzle.
- frown upon
- Cheating is frowned upon at school.
- a deep frown
- A deep frown creased her forehead.
- frown with disapproval
- Grandma frowned with disapproval at the muddy shoes.
- turn a smile into a frown
- The news turned his smile into a frown.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scowl
- A scowl is a stronger, angrier frown, and it suggests bad temper, whereas a frown can show only worry or thought.
- grimace
- A grimace twists the whole face, often from pain or disgust, but a frown mostly involves the brow.
- glower
- Glower means to stare angrily, which is more hostile than a frown.
- knit your brow
- Knit your brow describes the same movement as frowning, but in a more literary way.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: frown or frown on vs frown at? frown or frowzy?
frown vs frown on vs frown at
Frown at someone means to look at them with a frown, but frown on or upon something means to disapprove of it.
frown vs frowzy
Frowzy means untidy or stale-smelling and has nothing to do with frowns.
Practice
In many restaurants, wearing a swimsuit is ___.
Choose one answer.
Frowned upon means disapproved of. The other forms do not make a natural phrase with this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “frown”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.