glowering 1 of 2

Definition of gloweringnext

glowering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of glower
1
as in glaring
to look with anger or disapproval baseball fans glowering at their TVs as they watched their favorite team lose

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in darkening
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look the old man just sat in his rocking chair, his face glowering at the prospect of unwanted company

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 glowering
Verb
It’s been broadly debated whether the novel actually is a love story between the snobbish Cathy and the glowering Heathcliff. Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026 His ever-glowering face on the sideline has sparked countless memes and has come to personify the sharp-eyed, no-nonsense manner in which these Hoosiers have rocketed through the sport in just two seasons. Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026 The girl looks at her mother glowering in the doorway. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 Looming behind them is a group of bearded, glowering militants, dressed in tunics and turbans, some holding assault rifles. T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025 Linda hustles the two of them to a nearby motel whose only employees are a surly young goth attendant (a glowering Ivy Wolk) and a sympathetic, mildly flirty super (A$AP Rocky, laidback and breezy). Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 Oct. 2025 At seventy-nine, the commander in chief looked awful, his jowly, glowering face more tired and orange than ever, his porcine eyes extra puffy. Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glowering
Verb
  • Defense ranked 21st in the NBA remains a glaring weakness.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
  • The sun ascended above BayCare Ballpark during batting practice, glaring straight into the outfield.
    Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The image was captured shortly after Earth's curved inner shadow began its slow journey across the lunar disk, darkening the lunar seas sprawling across the western portion of its surface.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Smoke from the fire could be seen from miles away, darkening the sky.
    CBS News, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • He was picked up first on meth charges on May 14, 1986, according to news reports and a San Francisco police booking photo, which shows him in a blue hoodie scowling into the camera.
    Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Then there was that image circulating in the bowels of the internet that showed a man who looked exactly like JD scowling at an unidentifiable brunette woman in a restaurant.
    Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The men stood frowning at each other and then back at Adi until the one without the gun broke into croaks of laughter.
    Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Smiling can actually lift your mood, while frowning can lower it.
    Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The administration instead released a photo of him running a secondary meeting at the White House, flanked by a can of Diet Mountain Dew and a sullen-looking Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence.
    Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
  • My father was also sullen from the vodka, and after grumbling some would fall asleep on his grungy sleeper berth.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Saxon sat at the plaintiff’s table, staring at a screen with no expression.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
  • After eight hours at work, staring at spreadsheets and sitting through meetings that should've been emails, my brain needs a complete reset.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Glowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glowering. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

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