glower

[glou-er]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR glower ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to look or stare with sullen dislike, discontent, or anger.

noun

a look of sullen dislike, discontent, or anger.

Origin of glower

1350–1400; Middle English (Scots) glowren to glower; akin to Middle Low German glūren to be overcast, Middle Dutch gloeren to leer

Related formsglow·er·ing·ly, adverbun·glow·er·ing, adjectiveun·glow·er·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for glower

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR glower ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See glare¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for glowering

scowl, stare, gloom, lower, glare, look, watch, sulk

Examples from the Web for glowering

Historical Examples of glowering

Bobby was glowering at the audience and grumbling into Sally's ear.
The Dominant Strain
Anna Chapin Ray
He paused, glowering down at her as if she, too, were white enough to hate.
The Bondwoman
Marah Ellis Ryan
"You're the man I saw at Heyler's," she said, glowering at him.
The Green Rust
Edgar Wallace
He rose with extraordinary agility and leant over, glowering at the girl.
Jack O' Judgment
Edgar Wallace
He paused for an answer, glowering at her; and she shrank, trembling, against the door.
Bob, Son of Battle
Alfred Ollivant

British Dictionary definitions for glowering

glower

verb

(intr) to stare hard and angrily

noun

a sullen or angry stare

Derived Formsgloweringly, adverb

Word Origin for glower

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Middle Low German glūren to watch

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for glowering

glower

mid-14c., "to shine;" c.1500, "to stare with wide eyes," perhaps from a Scandinavian source (cf. Norwegian dialectal glora "to glow"), from Proto-Germanic base *glo- (see glow (v.)), root of Old English glowan "to glow," which influenced the spelling. Or perhaps related to Middle Dutch gluren "to leer." Meaning "to look angrily, scowl" is first recorded 1775. Related: Glowered; glowering. As a noun, 1715, from the verb.