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.
With his practiced executive scowl and scripted boardroom catchphrase, “You’re fired!,” the show burnished his image as a decisive billionaire dealmaker, even as his real-life business results were far less impressive.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 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
Shroff added: “You’re always worried you have it wrong. You’ve misread the scowl or the smile. Maybe they aren’t smiling at you; just thinking about a movie they saw and liked.”
From Seattle Times • Apr. 17, 2024
She was sprawled, awkwardly, beneath the hazel tree, and she gazed up at Tristran with a scowl of complete unfriendliness.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
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.
