as in frowning
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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$AP Rocky, laidback and breezy).
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
At seventy-nine, the commander in chief looked awful, his jowly, glowering face more tired and orange than ever, his porcine eyes extra puffy.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
His ever-glowering face on the sideline has sparked countless memes and has come to personify the sharp-eyed, no-nonsense manner in which these Hoosiers have rocketed through the sport in just two seasons.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
The girl looks at her mother glowering in the doorway.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Looming behind them is a group of bearded, glowering militants, dressed in tunics and turbans, some holding assault rifles.
—T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
Linda hustles the two of them to a nearby motel whose only employees are a surly young goth attendant (a glowering Ivy Wolk) and a sympathetic, mildly flirty super (A$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
-
And were there any glaring snubs in the nominations?—
Erin Neil,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The change in their approach to relationships becomes glaring when Nathan tells Joe that Gael is going on a surfing trip with some guy friends.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Add this set of room-darkening curtains to block light for a darker bedroom at night, or grab this fleece blanket to snuggle up with and add texture to a room.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
26 Dec. 2025
-
Alternating between onion and potatoes when grating helps keep the potatoes from darkening.—
Joan Nathan,
Saveur,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Grejo sank scowling back into his chair as though stung by Adi’s answer.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Their head coach, Curt Cignetti, perpetually scowling beneath his 1950s crew cut, is fuel for countless memes.—
Keith O’Brien,
The Atlantic,
17 Jan. 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
-
While Nina’s 7-year-old daughter, Cece (Indiana Elle), is sullen, and her dreamboat husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), is politely cautious about the prospect of a live-in housekeeper, Nina herself seems nice enough at first, if a little intense.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Shane, a wholesome Canadian, anchors his national team and is drafted by the Montreal Metros, while Russian team anchor Ilya is a seemingly sullen bad boy drafted by the Boston Raiders.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With his team staring at a seven-point halftime deficit and a three-game losing streak in the SEC, Texas basketball coach Sean Miller didn’t mince words about the importance of the second half in Saturday’s 87-67 win Georgia.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Actor Matt Manuel, who is currently staring in the Off-Broadway production of Spelling Bee, weighed in on the topic of theater etiquette.—
Emma Kershaw,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Glowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glowering. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
