Meaning & use
furrows eyebrows
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Meaning
phrasetransitive
pulls the eyebrows close together, creating lines above the nose, often showing confusion, doubt, or displeasure
Grammar: Usually used with a possessive word before 'eyebrows': furrows his eyebrows, furrows their eyebrows.
Patterns
- someone furrows their eyebrows
- furrows eyebrows at something
She furrows her eyebrows when she hears the strange news.
He furrows his eyebrows and reads the letter again.
They furrow their eyebrows at the difficult math problem.
Word forms
| base form | furrow eyebrows |
|---|---|
| past tense | furrowed eyebrows |
| past participle | furrowed eyebrows |
| -ing form | furrowing eyebrows |
Common combinations
- furrows eyebrows in surprise
- She furrows her eyebrows in surprise at the price.
- furrows eyebrows at someone
- He furrows his eyebrows at his brother across the table.
- furrows eyebrows slightly
- She furrows her eyebrows slightly, then nods.
- furrows eyebrows and waits
- He furrows his eyebrows and waits for an explanation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- furrows brows
- The same idea, but 'brows' is shorter and a little less formal than 'eyebrows.'
- knits eyebrows
- A more literary way to say the same thing; less common in everyday speech.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: furrows eyebrows or raises eyebrows?
furrows eyebrows vs raises eyebrows
This means to lift the eyebrows, often showing surprise or disapproval. 'Furrows' is the opposite movement: pulling them together.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The verb 'furrows' needs a possessive word before 'eyebrows': 'her eyebrows.' Option A lacks the possessive, C has wrong word order, and D uses the wrong verb form with 'she.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “furrows eyebrows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.