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
At certain workplaces, it’s frowned upon to sit, to appear idle or to gather around in groups.
—
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
In Israel it is frowned upon to criticize the nation, especially in front of outsiders.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
This being the prohibition era, the law frowned upon the alcohol consumption, to say nothing of the other recreational activities available at Top O’ Hill.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2025
It was frowned upon to fraternize with opposing players during batting practice, so hugging them in the first inning would be totally out of the question.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Though frowned upon by watchdogs as a temporary solution to fiscal problems, Johnson administration officials have made clear TIF sweeps will continue, with little pushback from the council.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
As part of a three-team trade that also included the Utah Jazz, the Lakers sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Mavericks, a deal that was widely frowned upon by fans and media pundits everywhere.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Smoking in many places is now equally frowned upon.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Being a tourist isn’t inherently frowned upon; being a bad tourist is.
—Josh Rivera, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
In Israel it is frowned upon to criticize the nation, especially in front of outsiders.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
This being the prohibition era, the law frowned upon the alcohol consumption, to say nothing of the other recreational activities available at Top O’ Hill.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2025
It was frowned upon to fraternize with opposing players during batting practice, so hugging them in the first inning would be totally out of the question.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Though frowned upon by watchdogs as a temporary solution to fiscal problems, Johnson administration officials have made clear TIF sweeps will continue, with little pushback from the council.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
As part of a three-team trade that also included the Utah Jazz, the Lakers sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Mavericks, a deal that was widely frowned upon by fans and media pundits everywhere.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Smoking in many places is now equally frowned upon.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Being a tourist isn’t inherently frowned upon; being a bad tourist is.
—Josh Rivera, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowned
stared
Verb
-
Firefighters batter Stephen Cullen stared up at Dullaghan from the plate with a frown on his face before giving the fan a thumbs down.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Cali stared at him, then reached for one of his beers.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frowned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowned. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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