lowering

C2+ Topic:Senses & Perception

US /ˈlaʊərɪŋ/ UK /ˈlaʊərɪŋ/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
dark and threatening, as of the sky; scowling

A lowering storm cloud gathered over the hills.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · dark and threatening, as of... dark threatening menacing gloomy overcastscowlinggloweringforbidding

Opposites

bright clear sunny serene

Word family

Related forms lowerlour

Etymology

The present participle of lower (also spelled lour), 'to look dark and threatening, scowl', from Middle English louren ('to frown, lurk'), of uncertain Germanic origin, perhaps related to Middle Dutch loeren ('to lie in wait').

louren Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Senses & Perception Word Formation & Derivatives

# lowering

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈlaʊərɪŋ
**IPA (UK):** ˈlaʊərɪŋ

## Meanings
1. dark and threatening, as of the sky; scowling

## Examples
- A lowering storm cloud gathered over the hills.

## Synonyms
- dark
- threatening
- menacing
- gloomy
- overcast
- scowling
- glowering
- forbidding

## Antonyms
- bright
- clear
- sunny
- serene

## Related Forms
- lower
- lour

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: louren

## Etymology
The present participle of lower (also spelled lour), 'to look dark and threatening, scowl', from Middle English louren ('to frown, lurk'), of uncertain Germanic origin, perhaps related to Middle Dutch loeren ('to lie in wait').

## AI Etymology
For lowering, the present participle of lower (also spelled lour), 'to look dark and threatening, scowl', from Middle English louren ('to frown, lurk'), of uncertain Germanic origin, perhaps related to Middle Dutch loeren ('to lie in wait'). The etymological trail includes Middle English louren. As an adjective, lowering means dark and threatening, as of the sky; scowling. The same family is visible in related forms such as lower and lour. The uncertainty belongs to the older derivation, so the explanation should preserve alternatives rather than choosing one unsupported origin.

## Topics
- Senses & Perception
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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