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frosty glance

frosty glance

6.6
A cold unfriendly look someone gives to show dislike
  • noun
translation icon : mirada fría
  • After the meeting, her boss shot her a frosty glance that made everyone uncomfortable.

Examples

  • She gave him a frosty glance when he arrived late.

  • He received a frosty glance from his friend when he arrived late for dinner.

  • The teacher's frosty glance silenced the entire classroom instantly.

  • His frosty glance made it clear he was unhappy.

  • She gave him a frosty glance when he interrupted her presentation.

  • At the meeting, his frosty glance warned everyone that he was displeased.

  • After hearing the harsh critique, she shot her colleague a frosty glance.

Synonyms

glare
vsfrosty glance
18 3.9

An angry stare that shows strong dislike

is milder and colder, showing disdain without fierce anger
scowl
vsfrosty glance
15 3.9

An angry look that shows you do not like something

is less overtly angry and more quietly dismissive
dirty look
vsfrosty glance
10 2.8

A look that shows dislike or anger

signals cold contempt rather than openly hostile anger
death stare
vsfrosty glance
2 7.4

A fierce look that shows anger or dislike

is safer and colder, aiming to show contempt rather than intimidate
cold stare
vsfrosty glance
2 4.6

A fixed unfriendly look that shows anger or disapproval

is colder and more about quiet disdain than overt anger
stern look
vsfrosty glance
2 3.1

A serious face that shows someone is unhappy or strict

is colder in tone and aims more at contempt than strictness
flinty gaze
vsfrosty glance
7.6

A hard, cold look that shows no feeling

is similarly cold but focuses more on expressed disdain than hardness
disapproving frown
vsfrosty glance
4.0

A look with eyebrows pulled together and lips pressed to show disapproval

is more about a chilly, contemptuous look than a facial gesture

Antonyms

280 1.0

Showing kindness and affection to others

How Unfriendly

glare
18 3.9
cold stare
2 4.6
frosty glance
6.6
cool
110 5.4

Surface Forms

frosty glance singular

Morphology

frosty + glance

The phrase's meaning is directly and predictably built from its parts: 'frosty' (unfriendly, cold in manner) modifies 'glance' (a brief look), yielding an unfriendly or cold look. The metaphor of coldness = social distance is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Frosty glance comes from a simple picture: frosty means very cold and a glance is a quick look, so the idea is a short look that feels cold and pushes someone away. That's why a frosty glance means an 'unfriendly' look showing 'disapproval'.