scowl

1 of 2

verb

scowled; scowling; scowls

intransitive verb

1
: to contract the brow in an expression of displeasure
2
: to exhibit a threatening aspect

transitive verb

: to express with a scowl
scowler noun
scowlingly adverb

scowl

2 of 2

noun

: a facial expression of displeasure : frown

Examples of scowl in a Sentence

Verb scowled down at the misbehaving child Noun The teacher gave me a scowl when I walked in late. She responded to his question with a scowl.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Williams, wearing a sage green sweater and forest green tie, occasionally scowled as Glanville read charges to the jury for his co-defendants, otherwise smiling when talking with his attorney or others in court. George Chidi, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023 The Deal sisters’ cooing vocals against their scowling guitars, those impenetrable lyrics, that lifeguard whistle beckoning us … where exactly? Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 Neeson does his best to bring integrity to the role, exuding a weary nobility while Condon scowls and snarls and probably spends a lot of time thinking wistfully about Martin McDonagh’s dialogue. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023 Political soothsayers also tend to forget that Trump may be spending considerable time early in the year scowling in courtrooms with the possibility of multiple guilty verdicts hovering over the campaign. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 28 Sep. 2023 Their front-of-house staff was notorious for not acknowledging — and occasionally scowling at — members of the public. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023 Trump, the early front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, surrendered Thursday in that case, posing with a scowling face for the first mug shot in American history of a former U.S. president. Eric Tucker, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2023 After Trump was booked Thursday evening -- scowling at the camera for the first-ever mug shot of a former president -- seven co-defendants who had not yet surrendered did so Friday morning. Kate Brumback and Russ Bynum The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Aug. 2023 Months back, when Ford unveiled that glassy cockpit, with a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, loyalists scowled; Mustangs had never worn anything like it. Sam Smith, Car and Driver, 25 Aug. 2023
Noun
Gwen, looking edgy in a pink-tinged undercut and punk-rock scowl, is going through her own struggles with Dad — her father, like Jeff, is a police officer — so is ripe for recruitment when a mysterious group of Spidery superheroes invite her to join their elite strike force. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 31 May 2023 The 30-something Brooklynite played by Arnow herself (in a perpetual Garfield the cat scowl) goes on dull dates and powers through a numbing office job. Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2023 Trump surrendered Thursday in the Georgia case, posing with a scowl for the first mug shot in American history of a former U.S. president. Eric Tucker, Lindsay Whitehurst, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2023 In reality, Pee-wee Herman was nothing like us at all, a dreamy man-child in a red bow tie whose sugary smile could curl into a punky scowl. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2023 Her hair woven into thin blonde braids, her face a sultry scowl, the model sported a cream sweater interwoven with waterfalls of yarn in Rainbow Brite-esque colors. The Editors, ELLE, 24 July 2023 His default facial expression, something like an inquisitive scowl, has been replaced with a relaxed grin. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 14 July 2023 The 2023 Tony Awards were bursting with that try-hard musical-theatre-kid energy, tempered somewhat by Stoppard’s bemused scowl. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023 Berry’s public image showcased a winning smile and a winking eye, whereas most reports of backstage meetings tended to emphasize a forbidding scowl and basilisk stare. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scowl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English skoulen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish skule to scowl

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1520, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scowl was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scowl

Cite this Entry

“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scowl. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

scowl

1 of 2 verb
1
: to make a frowning expression of displeasure
2
: to exhibit or express with a scowl
scowler noun
scowlingly adverb

scowl

2 of 2 noun
: an expression of displeasure on the face : frown

More from Merriam-Webster on scowl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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