scowl
Americanverb (used without object)
-
scowls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scowled,
past participle, past
-
scowling
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
scowls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scowled,
past participle, past
-
scowling
present participle
noun
-
scowls
plural
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
scowlsimple
-
scowlssimple
-
have scowledperfect
-
has scowledperfect
-
am scowlingprogressive
-
are scowlingprogressive
-
is scowlingprogressive
-
have been scowlingperfect progressive
-
has been scowlingperfect progressive
Past
-
scowledsimple
-
had scowledperfect
-
was scowlingprogressive
-
were scowlingprogressive
-
had been scowlingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
We were shortly joined by her brother, who kept a scowl on his face as we spoke.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 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
When the Lakers newest superstar showed up in El Segundo Tuesday morning, the handshakes and hugs could not mask a scowl and a chip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2025
Shady’s adenoidal whine is nowhere to be found on this record, replaced with a sinister, very adult scowl.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2024
Osei’s statement earns a scowl from Danso and a collective, biting laugh from the other women.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
That inspired the sketch about a hiring interviewer whose alternating expressions of smiles and scowls unnerve a job candidate played by Nate Clark.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
Gone are the decades of scowls, railing against officials, getting in the face of players, snapping at reporters.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 7, 2023
And when he’s not forcing a smile, he reflexively scowls.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2023
Mostly, Banderas handsomely scowls, barks orders and helps keep the machinery chugging.
From New York Times ● Feb. 17, 2022
Even when he scowls, his eyes look thoughtful, and I remember how his mouth curled when he smiled.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
But if fans expect to see the tough guy in the black wrestling trunks, black leather vest with a scowled face while he’s learning new jobs, they might be disappointed.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 28, 2023
Some purists might have scowled at the time, but the effect was undeniable.
From New York Times ● Aug. 25, 2022
In the crowd, John Ward folded his arms across his chest and scowled.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 13, 2022
The crowd let out a groan at a missed goal, and Saiki scowled at the TV.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2021
I scowled as I dropped the slab of meat on the board and began sawing at it with a cleaver.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Now scientists have worked out exactly what is going on inside a dog's brain when it sees a human - even a complete stranger - smiling or scowling.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
He will continue appearing on television on behalf of the White House, scowling at critics and assuring the public that the administration has never been more unified.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Next was coach Mike Vrabel, an upbeat former Belichick player determined to win without scowling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
In September, Japan's Nintendo marked four decades since the release of the first "Super Mario Bros." game with its platforms, pipes and scowling enemies.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025
Moss turned to stare after that, and Officer Hull was scowling at the assistant principal.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
