scowl
verb (used without object)
to draw down or contract the brows in a sullen, displeased, or angry manner.
had been scowling
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past perfect progressiveof scowl.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
For an hour before debarking he had been scowling through field glasses at U. S. warships in San Pedro Harbor.
From Time Magazine Archive
Cassidy, who had been scowling in the face of this arraignment, suddenly gave vent to a croaking laugh of derision.
From Within the Law by Bayard Veiller
A moment earlier she had been scowling fiercely.
From Jane Allen: Right Guard by Edith Bancroft
He had been scowling while she talked, staring into vacancy in meditation.
From Blow The Man Down A Romance Of The Coast - 1916 by Holman Day
Doctor Allison, who had been scowling at the ceiling, passing his fingers thoughtfully through his sparse gray hair, sighed deeply.
From The Best Short Stories of 1917 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story by Edward J. (Edward Joseph Harrington) O'Brien
