frown 1 of 2

noun

Definition of frownnext
as in scowl
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval it was clear from the frown on the CEO's face that sales were headed in the wrong direction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frown

2 of 2

verb

ˈfrau̇n How to pronounce frown (audio)
as in to scowl
to look with anger or disapproval the boss just stood there and frowned at his assistant who, once again, was in trouble

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frown
Noun
The Spaniard left hurriedly, carrying a frown that owed to a sense of injustice. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026 Carpenter responded with a quizzical frown. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
The upstairs neighbors would like to go to sleep somewhere between 9 at night and midnight, and so applause was frowned upon at the Gaslight. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2026 Oftentimes, disabling security protections is frowned upon. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for frown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frown
  1. scowl
  2. glare
  3. grimace
  4. stare
  5. smirk
Noun
  • The role requires basically one expression, a mechanized scowl.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 26 June 2026
  • His scowl in training sessions was permanent.
    — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Definition of scowl
Verb
  • Best Skincare Deals While the temperatures are balmy and the sun is glaring, skincare becomes that much more important.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • The glaring issue in England’s group stage performance stems from the drop-off in goal production from the opener to the final two matches.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026
Definition of glare
Noun
  • He was immortalized in a perpetual full-body muscle flex, and bore the grimace of a guy who really, really wants to pick a fight.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
  • And Ahmed, with his fearful eyes and tense grimace, makes for a compellingly sad and isolated figure.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of grimace
Verb
  • His suns stare curiously from one side of a page spread to another and his stacks of hay worriedly study the horizon, while his one-eyed stools and one-eyed fenceposts pop up like eager cyclopses.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
  • No foul was assessed in real time, and the red card was awarded only after the official stared at a slow-motion replay.
    — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of stare
Noun
  • Robinson appeared to furrow his brow and smirk as the text messages about the engravings were displayed in the courtroom.
    — Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The self-aware smirk and carefree bounce of the record is a bit of a surprise, though.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of smirk

Phrases Containing frown

Browse Nearby Words

frowardness
frown
frown (at or on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frown. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on frown

Nglish: Translation of frown for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All