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Glite Dictionary
frowning

frowning

1.0
Showing dislike or anger with a wrinkled forehead
  • adjective
  • /ˈfraʊnɪŋ/
translation icon : fruncido
  • She was frowning at the messy room that her children left behind.

Examples

  • But Julie's shutting down, frowning at her handwritten draft writing that took her weeks.

  • You're sitting at your computer and frowning or sort of squinting.

  • They actually wear them to keep from squinting, to keep from frowning because of the bright sun.

  • A sheet of paper was provided for students to circle a happy, neutral, or frowning face to identify their feelings (McKenzie, Alcarez, & Sallis, 1994).

    Academic text (1998)

  • After hearing the bad news, he sat back with a frowning expression on his face.

  • The teacher noticed several students frowning during the difficult math lesson.

Synonyms

frowny
vsfrowning
  • Informal
4 7.0

Having a mouth turned down and looking unhappy

is a more specific furrowed brow showing displeasure or anger
flinty
vsfrowning
2 8.1

Not showing feelings or care and seeming cold and unkind

shows active displeasure or anger rather than emotional coldness
scowling
vsfrowning
1 5.4

A person who looks angry and unfriendly because they frown

is a brow-furrowing expression of displeasure or anger
sneering
vsfrowning
1 5.9

Showing dislike and no respect in the face or voice

expresses displeasure or anger without implying contempt

Antonyms

smiling
1 1.0

A facial expression with the mouth corners turned up to show happiness or friendliness

How Displeased

furious
238 3.0
glowering
7.4
scowling
1 5.4
frowning
1.0
upset
∞ 1.0
untroubled
4 3.5

Surface Forms

frowning positive

Morphology

frowning = frown (transparent) = frown + ing

The word 'frowning' is a straightforward derivation from the verb 'frown' with the addition of the participle suffix '-ing'.

Etymology

The word frowning comes from old words about the 'forehead' and 'wrinkling', so think of pulling your brow together into a line. That's why frowning means showing anger or displeasure by drawing your face into a tight, unhappy expression.