verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scowl
1300–50; Middle English scoulen (v.); perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Danish skule to scowl, Norwegian skule to look furtively, though these may be < Low German schūlen to spy
Explanation
When you scowl you make an angry face. The angry face you make is also called a scowl. Lighten up. Scowl is an expressive word: it shares "ow" with frown, and if you say it like you mean it you might end up scowling yourself. Being scowled at is more unsettling than being frowned at. A scowl is like an angry frown you would give someone if you disapproved of them. A frown expresses sadness, but a scowl expresses disdain.
Vocabulary lists containing scowl
The Lingo of Body Language
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"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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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.
“How will they greet one another? With a handshake, a hug or a scowl? These are the dramas that the political nerds like myself love to look for,” Sadhwani said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
But it was his grittiest—and that’s all Indiana needed for its famously stony coach to drop the scowl.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
CNN reported that, as Daniels spoke, Trump was "looking straight ahead with a scowl on his face."
From Salon • May 7, 2024
After seeing the two of them crumple and scowl, the third man chickened out.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024
High John stood apart from us with his arms crossed, in the same position he’d been in before, but now, instead of a smile, he wore a scowl.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
