glowering

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   Staring at someone with a dark, angry or resentful expression that suggests simmering anger.

   Grammar: No object; the person looked at follows 'at': he sat glowering at his brother.

   Patterns

   • glower at someone
   • glower at something

   He sat in the corner, glowering at anyone who walked past.

   The teenager was glowering at his parents across the dinner table.

   She stood glowering at the broken window, refusing to say a word.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounliterary

   Looking dark, angry or threatening, used of a face, a stare or the sky.

   Grammar: Comes before a noun: a glowering sky, a glowering look.

   Patterns

   • a glowering look
   • a glowering sky

   A glowering sky promised a storm before evening.

   The guard gave us a glowering look and told us to leave.

   Under the glowering clouds, the picnic was canceled.

Word forms

Common combinations

glowering look

He gave the referee a glowering look.

glowering expression

A glowering expression crossed her face when she heard the news.

glowering sky

We hurried home under a glowering sky.

glower at

Don't glower at me; I only asked a question.

glowering silence

They ate in glowering silence.

Synonyms and how they differ

scowl

'Scowl' focuses on the frowning face, while 'glower' stresses a long, brooding stare.

glare

'Glare' is a sharp, direct look that can be brief, whereas 'glower' suggests sulky anger that lasts.

frown

'Frown' can show worry, confusion or mild displeasure, while 'glower' is always angry or threatening.

Opposites

Word family

glower verb

to stare angrily

glower noun

an angry, brooding look

glowered verb

the past tense, as in 'he glowered at me'

gloweringly adverb

in an angry, threatening way; rare

Commonly confused: glowering or glowing?

Practice

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