Meaning & use
furrow your eyebrows
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
to pull your eyebrows together and down, making lines appear on your forehead, usually because you are worried, puzzled or angry.
Grammar: The possessive pronoun changes to match the person: I furrowed my eyebrows, they furrowed their eyebrows.
Patterns
- furrow your eyebrows at someone
- furrow your eyebrows in confusion
- someone furrows their eyebrows
She furrowed her eyebrows at the strange noise coming from the kitchen.
When I told him the price, he furrowed his eyebrows and said nothing.
Reading the letter, he furrowed his eyebrows in puzzlement.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
to show doubt or disapproval on your face in this way, without saying anything.
Grammar: Often used to describe a silent reaction, so it frequently appears with verbs like look, sit or listen.
Patterns
- furrow your eyebrows in disapproval
- furrow your eyebrows at something
The teacher furrowed her eyebrows at the excuse, but let him sit down.
He furrowed his eyebrows at the suggestion, clearly not convinced.
Common combinations
- furrow your eyebrows in confusion
- She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when the instructions changed.
- furrow your eyebrows at someone
- He furrowed his eyebrows at me across the table.
- furrow your eyebrows slightly
- He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, trying to remember her name.
- furrow your eyebrows in concentration
- The child furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she wrote.
- furrow your eyebrows deeply
- She furrowed her eyebrows deeply and stared at the page.
Synonyms and how they differ
- frown
- More general: it means to move your eyebrows down and wrinkle your forehead, and it does not need the word eyebrows.
- scowl
- Stronger and angrier than furrowing your eyebrows; a scowl shows clear anger or dislike.
- knit your brows
- Very close in meaning, but a little more literary and often used in writing rather than speech.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: furrow your eyebrows or wrinkle your nose? furrow your eyebrows or raise your eyebrows?
furrow your eyebrows vs wrinkle your nose
This means to move your nose upward to show dislike of a smell; it does not involve the eyebrows.
furrow your eyebrows vs raise your eyebrows
This means to lift the eyebrows, usually to show surprise, which is almost the opposite movement.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 fits because furrowing your eyebrows shows confusion and the sentence is complete and natural. Option 3 fails because relaxed eyebrows do not match the action, and options 1 and 2 add reactions that contradict the puzzled expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “furrow your eyebrows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.