frown
Americanverb (used without object)
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frowns,
present (3rd person singular)
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frowned,
past participle, past
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frowning
present participle
verb (used with object)
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frowns,
present (3rd person singular)
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frowned,
past participle, past
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frowning
present participle
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to express by a frown.
to frown one's displeasure.
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to force or shame with a disapproving frown.
to frown someone into silence.
noun
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frowns
plural
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a frowning look; scowl.
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any expression or show of disapproval.
a tax bill that received Congressional frowns.
verb
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(intr) to draw the brows together and wrinkle the forehead, esp in worry, anger, or concentration
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to have a dislike (of); look disapprovingly (upon)
the club frowned upon political activity by its members
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(tr) to express (worry, etc) by frowning
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to force, silence, etc, by a frowning look
noun
-
the act of frowning
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a show of dislike or displeasure
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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frownsimple
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frownssimple
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have frownedperfect
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has frownedperfect
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am frowningprogressive
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are frowningprogressive
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is frowningprogressive
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have been frowningperfect progressive
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has been frowningperfect progressive
Past
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frownedsimple
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had frownedperfect
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was frowningprogressive
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were frowningprogressive
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had been frowningperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing frown
"Thank You, M'am"
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Chiasmus from Top AP English Exam Novels
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"The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare, Act V
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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.
See Examples For:
James Butts, the mayor of Inglewood, has said he would frown upon a ballpark there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
While many HR pros frown on such behavior, some, parents themselves, told me they could understand the impulse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Making "Year of the Horse" stuffed toys in a workshop, an employee accidentally stitched the festive foal's mouth on upside-down -- turning its cheerful expression into a gloomy frown.
From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026
Even if you want to cry when you walk in the door, turn that frown upside down and greet your host with a warm hug and a smile.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 17, 2026
It seemed to my flu-addled brain that Peter was giving me the most ferocious frown I had ever seen.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Dogs are exceptionally skilled at reading human emotions, from smiles and laughter to frowns and tears.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Peet has wrinkles on her face, her forehead moves, and when she frowns, she frowns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
And generally, the law frowns on making a person’s status—rather than their actions—the basis of a crime or a lawsuit.
From Slate ● May 13, 2024
The mood in the room went from warm and joyful to uncomfortable frowns and embarrassment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2023
Every time I get a good grade or raise my hand to answer one of his questions, he frowns.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
They dress up, braid their hair in a special way and are free to dance and play together outside, something which is traditionally frowned upon at other times of the year.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Expressing our rage at all that, however, is still frowned upon.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
The women were joined by male university students sporting tattoos and T-shirts, Western attire frowned upon by the regime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Henderson said he only realized the solicitation he’d been asked to do might be frowned upon after Orchid told him as much at their meal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Karli was about to say something, but Mutti frowned at him quickly and put a finger to her lips.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Balogun then looked over at a frowning Ream, who had just finished urging his teammates to be sure to stop and smell the flowers along this World Cup journey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
In the troika of major figures in the Russian Revolution, Trotsky stood for ideas and Stalin represented power; their predecessor, Vladimir Lenin, had fused the two values as the frowning avatar of communist leadership.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
She grinned as she explained that some sculptures of famed Buddhist monk Ji Gong even showed him smiling on one side of his face and frowning on the other.
From Barron's ● Jan. 19, 2026
"He just kinda crept up on the guy and was looming over his shoulder and frowning at him while the guy was speaking."
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2024
That’s when Agent Magnus walks onstage to join them, frowning harder with every step.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
