frown 1 of 2

as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval it was clear from the frown on the CEO's face that sales were headed in the wrong direction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frown

2 of 2

verb

as in to glare
to look with anger or disapproval the boss just stood there and frowned at his assistant who, once again, was in trouble

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 frown
Noun
The muscles around his eyes darted inward, and a frown overtook his face. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025 Beantown frowns at each breaking news sounder on talk radio or ESPN insider post on social media. Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 2 July 2025
Verb
Because of that history, Mrs. Kirkland frowns upon the Scotts, particularly Peggy’s father Arthur (John Douglas Thompson) who was once enslaved. Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2025 While bringing flowers in a vase will never be frowned upon, showing up sans vase won't be either! Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for frown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frown
Noun
  • But he would be called things, and strangers would sometimes eavesdrop on our conversations and grimace.
    Tina Knowles, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
  • In an alarming sight for an already-banged-up inside linebacker room, Greenlaw pulled up with a grimace after covering J.K. Dobbins on an LB-RB one-on-one pass-coverage drill.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • The article dove deep into the glaring uptick in numbers of single Black women.
    Essence, Essence, 18 Aug. 2025
  • There are the clever visual gags allowed by animation, like characters who quite literally shoot daggers at one another while locked in a glaring match; there are many jokes at the imperious, overconfident Marioneta’s expense.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The gritty kind who has choppy black hair and a permanent scowl.
    Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 2 May 2025
  • Serve up in a stemmed glass, and garnish with a scowl, or perhaps a war story.
    Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • But after the initial five seconds of being off-leash and staring at Han, Swanson took his chance.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
  • For a moment, while the nation stared at her from their living rooms, this woman had closed her eyes.
    Deborah Levy, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Frown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frown. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on frown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!