glower
Americanverb (used without object)
-
glowers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
glowered,
past participle, past
-
glowering
present participle
noun
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
See glare 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glowersimple
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glowerssimple
-
have gloweredperfect
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has gloweredperfect
-
am gloweringprogressive
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are gloweringprogressive
-
is gloweringprogressive
-
have been gloweringperfect progressive
-
has been gloweringperfect progressive
Past
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gloweredsimple
-
had gloweredperfect
-
was gloweringprogressive
-
were gloweringprogressive
-
had been gloweringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glower
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ( Scots ) glowren “to glower”; akin to Middle Low German glūren “to be overcast,” Middle Dutch gloeren “to leer”
Explanation
If you see someone glower at you, you might consider glowering back, but no one likes an angry staring contest. To glower is not only to stare, it's to stare angrily, as if you're going to throttle someone. You might already have guessed that glower isn't of Greek or Latin origin, since it doesn't ring any of those bells. Chances are that glower comes from northern Europe, where it's related to some old words that mean to "glow." It was probably in the 18th century that it took on the meaning "stare at angrily or sullenly." You can use its root, glo, to recall its meaning: a person that glowers seems to glow with anger.
Vocabulary lists containing glower
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List 8
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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:
Nonverbal sung chorales often shimmer or glower beneath spoken text.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
Jones’ glower could chill you to the bone, but his smiles were radiant and honest.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2024
You could definitely see it in the witness box: Bankman-Fried was fidgeting throughout, shifting left and right in his seat, and glaring at the courtroom with a low-eyebrow glower and a consistent frown.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2023
I see my aunt’s point about Joey being absurdly wide-eyed and empty-headed, and Roy Glenn, as John’s father, is allowed only to glower and yell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2022
I know Dad is trying to point out the bright side, but I glower.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
Inside the bright vestibule, the face of a protective Gorgon glowers at the visitor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry glowers across Woo’s desk from a framed studio glossy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
He glowers out from beneath his brows, unsmiling, eyes rendered oddly bloodshot, brow furrowed, chin tucked in, as if he is about to head-butt the camera.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 25, 2023
In the poster, star Jeremy Renner glowers at the camera, wearing a dark suit and tie stained with dirt.
From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2023
She’d tailored him again just this morning, enduring his glowers and grumbling.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Rather than a war of words, the two septuagenarians turned the courtroom into a contest of irritated expressions: The judge frowned, Trump glowered.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 6, 2023
Where his alleged co-conspirators displayed varying levels of shock, despair, and derangement, Trump glowered at the camera, creating an indelible photo.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2023
Ex-colleagues in dark glasses and black suits glowered from a photo in a Disney frame.
From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2023
He glowered and then gestured for the waiter to bring the check.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2022
“Bits and pieces, they'll come," Alys said, “over time ." Tall Andras glowered.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
The image features a glowering Trump leaning on his desk and his signature, with the text of the Declaration of Independence in the background.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
That court is not going to be afraid of his glowering visage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
It’s been broadly debated whether the novel actually is a love story between the snobbish Cathy and the glowering Heathcliff.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
He tried to humanize his glowering orange lump of a client with, "he’s a husband, he’s a father" and "a person, just like you and just like me."
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2024
“Sure,” said the lieutenant, glowering down at me.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
