scowl
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
scowlsimple
-
scowlssimple
-
have scowledperfect
-
has scowledperfect
-
are scowlingprogressive
-
am scowlingprogressive
-
is scowlingprogressive
-
have been scowlingperfect progressive
-
has been scowlingperfect progressive
Past
-
scowledsimple
-
had scowledperfect
-
was scowlingprogressive
-
were scowlingprogressive
-
had been scowlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scowl
1300–50; Middle English scoulen (v.); perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Danish skule to scowl, Norwegian skule to look furtively, though these may be < Low German schūlen to spy
Explanation
When you scowl you make an angry face. The angry face you make is also called a scowl. Lighten up. Scowl is an expressive word: it shares "ow" with frown, and if you say it like you mean it you might end up scowling yourself. Being scowled at is more unsettling than being frowned at. A scowl is like an angry frown you would give someone if you disapproved of them. A frown expresses sadness, but a scowl expresses disdain.
Vocabulary lists containing scowl
The Lingo of Body Language
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"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Young Punks Stage featured artists from the next generation: Pink Shift, Scowl, Linda Lindas and Destroy Boys to name a few.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2025
Additional musicians who have pulled out of the festival include Sprints, Scowl, Lambrini Girls, Okay Shalom and Squirrel Flower, the BBC reported.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2024
Other artists who've announced they won't be performing include Lambrini Girls, Scowl and Sprints.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2024
American hardcore music is experiencing a creative burst at the moment, owing to bands including Gulch, Scowl, Drug Church, Drain, Mindforce and End It.
From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2022
This world's prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none, He's judged, the deed is done, One little Word o'erthrows him.
From The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church by Rhodes, M. (Mosheim)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
