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Meaning & use

furrow your brow

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UK/ˌfʌrəʊ jɔː ˈbraʊ/
US/ˌfɝːoʊ jʊr ˈbraʊ/

Meaning

  1. phraseidiom

    To pull your eyebrows together and make lines on your forehead, usually because you are worried, confused or concentrating.

    Grammar: The possessive changes with the subject: she furrowed her brow.

    Patterns

    • furrow your brow in confusion
    • furrow your brow at something

    He furrowed his brow as he tried to read the tiny print.

    When the teacher asked a hard question, Maria furrowed her brow and thought.

    The doctor furrowed her brow while looking at the test results.

Word forms

third person singularfurrows your brow
past tensefurrowed your brow
past participlefurrowed your brow
-ing formfurrowing your brow

Common combinations

furrow your brow in confusion
She furrowed her brow in confusion when she heard the news.
furrow your brow in concentration
He furrowed his brow in concentration over the puzzle.
furrow your brow with worry
Dad furrowed his brow with worry as the storm grew stronger.
furrow your brow thoughtfully
The detective furrowed his brow thoughtfully and said nothing.
furrowed brow
With a furrowed brow, she studied the map.

Synonyms and how they differ

frown
Frown is the general word and often shows anger or displeasure, while furrow your brow is more about worry or thinking.
knit your brows
Knit your brows means almost the same but is a little more literary and suggests drawing the brows together.
scowl
Scowl shows strong anger and involves the whole face, which is stronger than furrowing the brow.
wrinkle your forehead
Wrinkle your forehead is a plain description that can also be used for surprise, not just worry.

Opposites

smilerelax your face

Word family

furrow noun
a long line or groove, such as one in a field or on skin
furrowed adjective
marked with deep lines
brow noun
the forehead or the ridge above the eyes

Commonly confused: furrow your brow or raise your eyebrows?

furrow your brow vs raise your eyebrows

To raise your eyebrows shows surprise by lifting them, while to furrow your brow pulls them together and down.

Practice

What does it mean if someone furrows their brow while reading a contract?

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