glower
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
verb
noun
Related Words
See glare 1.
Other Word Forms
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.
“The result?” he says, with a tough-guy glower.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
Nonverbal sung chorales often shimmer or glower beneath spoken text.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
You can’t watch his work in “The Gentlemen” or his glower and stalking throughout “The Mandalorian” without being reminded of his performance as the unforgettable narcotics distributor and imposing proprietor of Los Hermanos Pollos.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2024
When they appear, as Sephiroth often does, they glower and boast.
From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2024
Matthias’ glower went dark as a rain-heavy sky ready to split.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
