frown1 verbfrown2 noun
frownfrown1 /fraʊn/ ●●○ verb [intransitive] 
WORD ORIGINfrown1
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French froignierVERB TABLE
frown
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | frown |
| he, she, it | frowns | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | frowned |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have frowned |
| he, she, it | has frowned | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had frowned |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will frown |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have frowned |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am frowning |
| he, she, it | is frowning | |
| you, we, they | are frowning | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was frowning |
| you, we, they | were frowning | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been frowning |
| he, she, it | has been frowning | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been frowning |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be frowning |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been frowning |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Mr Bonner frowned and pursed his lips, but said nothing.
- Mrs Gold frowned at the children, who were getting mud all over their clothes.
- Paul frowned but said nothing.
- Sheila saw Al frown as he read the letter.
- Dorothea frowned into the mirror above the sink.
- He frowned, screwed up his mouth and brushed away the letter.
- It must be remembered that if we take two plants frown vegetatively from the same plant, they will also be self-sterile.
- No, that wasn't quite true, she corrected herself, frowning.
- They have frowned on the extraction of dowries from the parents of brides.
- Victorian propriety would have frowned upon such individual excesses.
- Well, this was obviously a job for Joanna, but ... She frowned.
Longman Language Activatorto look at someone in a disapproving way
informal to look quickly and angrily at someone in a way that shows you disapprove strongly of what they have said or done: · Frank turned round and gave me a really dirty look.
to look slightly unhappy or annoyed, because you disapprove of something: · Mr Bonner frowned and pursed his lips, but said nothing.frown at: · Mrs Gold frowned at the children, who were getting mud all over their clothes.
to look at someone in a way that shows that you are very angry with them: · Roger glared angrily at her across the dinner table.
to think that someone or something is bad or morally wrong to think that someone or something is bad, morally wrong, or very stupid: · I could tell from my mother's face that she disapproved.disapprove of: · A lot of church leaders disapproved of the book when it was first published.disapprove of somebody doing something: · My friends disapprove of me smoking.strongly disapprove (=disapprove very much): · I strongly disapprove of any form of gambling.
to think that someone or something is bad, morally wrong, or very stupid: do not approve of: · His mother clearly did not approve of Sophie.do not approve of somebody doing something: · You know I don't approve of you smoking.
how you feel when you think someone's ideas, behaviour, or actions are bad or morally wrong: do something with disapproval: · She looked at our clothes with obvious disapproval.somebody's disapproval/the disapproval of somebody: · Peter was determined to go to art school, despite his parents' disapproval.
to think that something is morally wrong and should not happen: · A lot of people now think that killing animals for food is wrong.think it is wrong to do something: · I think it's wrong to hit a child, whatever the circumstances.
if a group of people frown on or upon a particular kind of behaviour, they think that it is not the right way to behave: · The people who went to church frowned on those who spent Sunday mornings in bed.· Romantic relationships between teachers and students are frowned upon by the college authorities.
to disapprove of someone's behaviour - use this especially about someone in authority or someone who could take action to stop the behaviour: · The school takes a very dim view of this behaviour.· The electorate took a dim view of the tax increase.
to think that a particular person or group of people has a bad character, so that you do not respect them: · I'm afraid I have a rather low opinion of Mr Evans.· He had a very low opinion of insurance salesmen.
to disapprove of someone because of a particular thing they have done: · I didn't want my parents or teachers to think badly of me.· Please, Harry, you mustn't think badly of me. I had no choice.
informal to strongly disapprove of a particular kind of behaviour, attitude, or idea: · I don't hold with racism. Never have, never will.· Many of the older generation simply don't hold with mixed marriages.
to look angrily to look angrily at someone: · He sat there in silence, glaring angrily.glare at: · "You can go if you want, but I'm staying," Denise said glaring at him.glare toward/across/around etc: · Claude put down his fork and glared across the table.
especially British to look at someone very angrily, as if you would like to hurt them: · When I asked him what he'd done with the money he just looked daggers at me and refused to speak.· Julie must have heard you talking about her, because she was looking daggers at you from the next table.
also give somebody a black/filthy look British to quickly look at someone angrily to show that you are angry with them, especially in a situation when you cannot tell them that you are angry: · I don't know what I did to upset her, but she gave me a really filthy look when I walked into the meeting.· My aunt's friends always used to give me dirty looks when I brought my kids over, because they knew I wasn't married.
to look at someone in an angry way, or make an angry, unhappy expression with your face: · Jane scowled and told them to get out.· "What do you want?" said the old man, scowling.scowl at: · What are you scowling at me for? You asked me to wake you up.
to look at someone or something with an annoyed, confused, or disapproving expression on your face: · The teacher frowned at him and asked him to sit down.· When I got back to the table, Carolyn was frowning at the check.· "Sibling rivalry?" she asked, frowning at his use of psychological terms.
use this when you are telling someone how another person looked at you in a very angry way, and you found this funny or frightening: · You should've seen her face when she realized what I'd done - if looks could kill!
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
She gave a little frown. Joel gave me a smile as I walked in. He gave her a big hug. Alice read the letter with a puzzled expression on her face. His face wore a welcoming smile.
to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression, moving your eyebrows together: · There was a mischievous grin on her face.· He was reading the newspaper with a frown on his face.
She gave a little frown. Joel gave me a smile as I walked in. He gave her a big hug. Alice read the letter with a puzzled expression on her face. His face wore a welcoming smile.· Her worried frown deepened.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· She entered the hall and frowned slightly.· He did not have good fine motor control, holding the pencil awkwardly and frowning slightly as he drew.· He peered through the lens, frowning slightly.· Anna frowned slightly as they rose to leave.· Unconsciously she frowned slightly, determination building up within her like a tangible force.· He placed them in a neat pile, patting them into position with his large hands, frowning slightly.
She frowned as she read the letter.frown at Mattie frowned at him disapprovingly.frown on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb to disapprove of someone or something, especially someone’s behaviour: Even though divorce is legal, it is still frowned upon.frown1 verbfrown2 noun
frownfrown2 ●●○ noun [countable usually singular] EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- If she does not, there will be frowns and sharp words and life will not be nearly so pleasant for her.
- Instantly, you are treated to the Archer frown of disapproval.
- Janir glanced at me, and I managed a frown.
- Micky's brow corrugated in a simian frown.
- The woman looked at Hicks with a sensitive frown.
- Toni said, looking up and seeing the frown still there.
THESAURUSdifferent types of expression
the expression on your face when you move your eyebrows together because you are angry, unhappy, or confused: · With a frown, she asked, ‘So what’s wrong with that?’
an expression in which your mouth curves upwards, when you are being friendly or are happy or amused: · She gave him a quick smile.
an angry or disapproving expression: · There was a scowl of irritation on his face.
a long angry look: · He gave her a furious glare, but said nothing.
an expression you make by twisting your face because you do not like something or because you are feeling pain: · His face twisted into a grimace of anguish.
an expression that shows you have no respect for something or someone: · ‘That’s what you said last time,’ she said with a sneer.
an expression in which you smile in an unpleasant way that shows you are pleased by someone else’s bad luck or that you think you are better than other people: · He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
an expression in which you push out your lower lip because you are unhappy that you did not get what you want: · ‘You’re going away?’ she said with a pout.
an act of looking at something: · Let me have a look at the map.· I took a quick look around the room.
a quick look at something before looking away again: · Susan cast a quick glance at me (=she looked quickly at me).· He could not resist a sidelong glance (=quickly looking to the side) to see what was happening on the other side of the road.
a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly: · Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.· I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
a long steady look: · Eddie fixed his gaze on the floor.· She looked up and met his gaze (=looked at him when he was looking at her).
a long direct look, especially in an unfriendly way or in a way that shows you are surprised: · He was watching me with a cold stare.· My cheery ‘Good Morning’ was met with a blank stare (=a stare which shows no emotion).
an angry look at someone: · She gave him a hostile glare as he entered the room.
a confused or annoyed look: · ‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She gave a little frown. Joel gave me a smile as I walked in. He gave her a big hug. Alice read the letter with a puzzled expression on her face. His face wore a welcoming smile.
the expression on your face when you move your eyebrows together because you are angry, unhappy, or confusedwith a frown· There was a mischievous grin on her face.· He was reading the newspaper with a frown on his face.
She gave a little frown. Joel gave me a smile as I walked in. He gave her a big hug. Alice read the letter with a puzzled expression on her face. His face wore a welcoming smile.· Her worried frown deepened.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The nun's forehead creased into a puzzled frown.· As she scanned the titles Polly's brows contracted in a puzzled frown.· Daak was unusually restrained, standing behind Ace with a hand on her shoulder and a puzzled frown on his face.· Robyn slowed the jeep with a puzzled frown, considering.· William got up from his chair at the workbench and went over to open up with a puzzled frown.
· There was only a very slight frown on her brow when Fernando went inside to bring out the paella.· Bethany poised over the bed, a slight abstract frown clouding her face.· He looks up at her inquiringly and she looks away with another slight frown.· No visible sign, except a slight frown.· He is looking at me with a slight frown, disconcerted by something about me, ready to be embarrassed.· Then she waited with a slight frown on her pale white face, as if she might learn something by waiting.· She stirred, a slight frown creasing her forehead, but her face relaxed again, and became peaceful.
· There was just that constant tiny worried frown between her brows to show the strain.· Tension showed in the tight line of Amelie's mouth, the worried frown between her eyes and her new thinness.
He looked at her with a puzzled frown.