frown

American  

[froun] / fraʊn /

verb (used without object)

frowns, present (3rd person singular) frowned, past participle, past frowning present participle

1. to contract the brow, as in displeasure or deep thought; scowl.

   Synonyms:

   gloom, lower, glower

2. to look displeased; have an angry look.

3. to view with disapproval; look disapprovingly (usually followed by on orupon ).

   to frown upon a scheme.

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verb (used with object)

frowns, present (3rd person singular) frowned, past participle, past frowning present participle

1. to express by a frown.

   to frown one's displeasure.

2. to force or shame with a disapproving frown.

   to frown someone into silence.

noun

frowns plural

1. a frowning look; scowl.

2. any expression or show of disapproval.

   a tax bill that received Congressional frowns.

frown British  

/ fraʊn /

verb

1. (intr) to draw the brows together and wrinkle the forehead, esp in worry, anger, or concentration

2. (intr; foll by on or upon) to have a dislike (of); look disapprovingly (upon)

   the club frowned upon political activity by its members

3. (tr) to express (worry, etc) by frowning

4. to force, silence, etc, by a frowning look

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noun

1. the act of frowning

2. a show of dislike or displeasure

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• frowner
  noun
• half-frowning
  adjective
• unfrowning
  adjective
• frowningly
  adverb
• half-frowningly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frowns
  plural

Participles

• frowning
  present
• frowned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• frown
  simple
• frowns
  simple
• have frowned
  perfect
• has frowned
  perfect
• are frowning
  progressive
• am frowning
  progressive
• is frowning
  progressive
• have been frowning
  perfect progressive
• has been frowning
  perfect progressive

Past

• frowned
  simple
• had frowned
  perfect
• was frowning
  progressive
• were frowning
  progressive
• had been frowning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will frown
  simple
• will have frowned
  perfect
• will be frowning
  progressive
• will have been frowning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of frown

1350–1400; Middle English frounen < Old French froignier, derivative of froigne surly expression, probably < Gaulish *frognā; compare Welsh ffroen, Old Breton fron nostril, Old Irish srón nose < Celtic *srognā or *sroknā

Explanation

If you frown at someone, you look at them with disapproval, and if you frown on something they do, you don't approve of that either. Because you frown on smoking, you probably frown at smokers too! The distant ancestors of frown, the ones that came long before Old French, meant "nose." Think about the expression, to look down one's nose at someone or something, which means "to disapprove of." If you have a frown on your face, you definitely don't like what you see! Sometimes when you're thinking hard about something, you might frown, but that is probably more of an expression of concentration than disapproval.

Example Sentences

“Smiling is the true answer. Smiling, you don’t get the wrinkles. Frown, you get a wrinkle,” says Warwick.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2021

Rather than exploring expressions beyond Big Happy Smile and Sad Little Frown, more attention is paid to the plastic-looking toys, er, cars and trucks.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 17, 2021

Frown lines are a lot more distracting when they’re 10 feet long.

From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2016

Frown down the blunt expression of opinion and it will cease to be considered praiseworthy frankness.

From The Secret of a Happy Home (1896) by Harland, Marion

Nay, 'tis not a Frown can stop me, nor will my Fate be long; know then, this Lord gave out his Son Eugenio dy'd at Rome, but he was well, and in this City.

From The Stolen Heiress or, The Salamanca Doctor Outplotted by Centlivre, Susanna

Related Words

• glare
• glower
• grimace
• pout