as in glared
to look with anger or disapproval
the boss just stood there and frowned at his assistant who, once again, was in trouble
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Recent Examples of frowned
Design-wise, the iX3 is a departure from the large-grille era, which was widely frowned upon by enthusiasts.
—
New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
But Vaught complicates the idea that male weeping was universally frowned upon back then.
—Jeanette Tran, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
Father-to-son succession has been frowned upon since the monarchy was topped in 1979.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026
With some franchises in this intensely competitive market, stockpiling high picks and doing a rebuild is frowned upon if not out-and-out rejected by fans.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
These are values that Allen says are unfortunately frowned upon in our hypermasculine culture.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Alice’s father is a British government official high in the ranks of Bombay society so her friendship with film star Rochana is frowned on by her strict mother.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Historically, Emily Post frowned on the practice.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Once upon a time, selfies with members of the royal family used to be frowned upon—but that rule has relaxed as royals modernize with the times and technology.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 27 Feb. 2026
New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
But Vaught complicates the idea that male weeping was universally frowned upon back then.
—Jeanette Tran, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
Father-to-son succession has been frowned upon since the monarchy was topped in 1979.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026
With some franchises in this intensely competitive market, stockpiling high picks and doing a rebuild is frowned upon if not out-and-out rejected by fans.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
These are values that Allen says are unfortunately frowned upon in our hypermasculine culture.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Alice’s father is a British government official high in the ranks of Bombay society so her friendship with film star Rochana is frowned on by her strict mother.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Historically, Emily Post frowned on the practice.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Once upon a time, selfies with members of the royal family used to be frowned upon—but that rule has relaxed as royals modernize with the times and technology.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowned
Verb
-
From the front passenger seat, Orlando businessman Jimmy Hewitt turned around and glared at Williams.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Jokić glared at Williams before the two were eventually separated.—
Mike Prada,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Those that attended mostly sat and scowled.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Another line of attack likens the show to when bachelorette parties invade gay bars — a practice frequently scowled upon by gay patrons.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As Venezuelans ran onto the infield to celebrate, the dismayed Americans stared while leaning on their dugout railing.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Venezuelans ran onto the infield to celebrate as the Americans stared while leaning on their dugout railing.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frowned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowned. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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