Meaning & use
furrow your brows
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformalliterary
to move your eyebrows together and downward, making lines on your forehead, usually because you are thinking hard or worried.
Grammar: Used with a possessive word like 'your', 'his', or 'her': furrow your brows. Not used without it.
Patterns
- furrow your brows
- furrow your brow
She furrowed her brows as she tried to understand the difficult equation.
He furrowed his brows when he heard the strange noise outside.
Common combinations
- furrow your brows in concentration
- The students furrowed their brows in concentration during the exam.
- furrow your brows at someone
- She furrowed her brows at him, confused by his sudden question.
- slightly furrow your brows
- He slightly furrowed his brows, not quite believing the story.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scowl
- Scowl means to make an angry or bad-tempered expression, often with the whole face, while furrowing your brows is more specific to the eyebrows and can show concentration too.
- frown
- Frown is a more general word for bringing your eyebrows together, often showing disapproval or sadness; furrowing your brows is more formal and usually about thinking.
Word family
- furrowed adjective
- Having deep lines or wrinkles, often on the forehead.
Commonly confused: furrow your brows or raise your eyebrows?
furrow your brows vs raise your eyebrows
Raising your eyebrows shows surprise; furrowing them shows worry or concentration. They are opposite movements.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
Furrowing your brows usually shows concentration or worry, so being puzzled fits. Surprise, happiness, and relaxation are not linked to this expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “furrow your brows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.