Meaning & use
raises the eyebrows
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Meanings
phraseidiom
Causes people to react with surprise, doubt, or mild disapproval.
Grammar: Used with a singular subject; the object is often 'eyebrows' or 'an eyebrow' with no article before the plural.
Patterns
- something raises eyebrows
- someone raises eyebrows
- raise an eyebrow at something
Her sudden decision to leave the company raises the eyebrows of everyone in the office.
The size of the bonus raises the eyebrows of even the most senior managers.
A comment like that raises the eyebrows of the whole audience.
phraseidiom
Shows that someone is surprised or skeptical about what was just said or done.
Grammar: Often describes a person's facial reaction rather than a general public reaction.
Patterns
- raises the eyebrows of someone
- something raises the eyebrows
He raises the eyebrows whenever the topic of the budget comes up.
Her tone raises the eyebrows of the people sitting nearby.
Word forms
| base form | raise the eyebrows |
|---|---|
| third person singular | raises the eyebrows |
| past tense | raised the eyebrows |
| -ing form | raising the eyebrows |
Common combinations
- raise eyebrows
- The proposal is likely to raise eyebrows among local residents.
- raise an eyebrow
- She raised an eyebrow when she heard the price.
- cause eyebrows to rise
- The unexpected delay caused eyebrows to rise.
- without raising eyebrows
- He managed to leave early without raising eyebrows.
Synonyms and how they differ
- surprise
- A general verb meaning to make someone feel surprise; 'raise eyebrows' is more specific and often suggests doubt or disapproval.
- shock
- Stronger than 'raise eyebrows' and usually suggests a more intense negative reaction.
- startle
- Means to surprise someone suddenly; 'raise eyebrows' is milder and more about social reaction.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: raises the eyebrows or raise the roof? raises the eyebrows or raise the bar?
raises the eyebrows vs raise the roof
Means to make a very loud noise or celebrate wildly, not to show surprise or doubt.
raises the eyebrows vs raise the bar
Means to set a higher standard, not to cause surprise.
Practice
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Raises the eyebrows' is a fixed idiom meaning causes surprise or doubt. Option 1 is wrong because the singular 'eyebrow' is less common in this phrase. Option 2 is missing 'the' before 'eyebrows' in this specific form. Option 3 is grammatically wrong because 'an' cannot go with the plural 'eyebrows.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “raises the eyebrows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.