frown

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.

   Philip had once told him of a man who had a horse-shoe frown, and Tom had tried with all his frowning-might to make a horse-shoe on his forehead.

2. 2
   noun

   A downturn of the corners of the mouth, typically expressing sadness.

   The smile and the frown are both indicated and the operation of a motor driven flasher causes the face to look happy and sad in turn.

3. 3
   verb

   To have a frown on one's face.

   She frowned when I told her the news.

4. 4
   verb

   To manifest displeasure or disapprobation; to look with disfavour or threateningly.

   Noisy gossip in the library is frowned upon.

Common collocations

• frown on Verb + preposition/particle

From Middle English frounen (“to frown as an expression of disapproval, displeasure, shame, fear, or jealousy”), from Old French frognier (“to frown or scowl”), from Gaulish *frognā (“nostril”), from Proto-Celtic *srognā.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images