Meanings
frown1
plural frowns
- A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.
He encounters some obstacle in his train of reasoning ... and then a frown passes like a shadow over his brow.
1873, Charles Darwin, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, page 2231 more example
Philip had once told him of a man who had a horse-shoe frown, and Tom had tried with all his frowning-might to make a horse-shoe on his forehead
1860, George Eliot, “V: Maggie's Second Visit”, in The Mill on the Floss, Volume I Book II, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood, page 336‑337 - CanadaUSA downturn of the corners of the mouth, typically expressing sadness.
The smile and the frown are both indicated and the operation of a motor driven flasher causes the face to look happy and sad in turn.
1911 December 28, “Facial Expression Electric Sign”, in Popular Electricity, volume iv, number 8, Chicago, page 714 - Any facial expression that indicates disapproval or displeasure.
frown2
present singular third person frowns · participle present frowning · participle past frowned · past frowned
- figurativelyintransitiveTo manifest displeasure or disapprobation; to look with disfavour or threateningly.
Noisy gossip in the library is frowned upon.
1 more example
The sky doth frown and lower upon our army.
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii] - transitiveTo repress or repel by expressing displeasure or disapproval; to rebuke with a look.
Let us frown the impudent fellow into silence.
- transitiveTo communicate by frowning.
Frank frowned his displeasure with my proposal.
2 more examples
Copling glanced at the heading and signature, then read the contents and frowned annoyance.
1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLCAs the band paused between songs, a gust of wind blew a distinctive Worthy Farm odour in the direction of drummer/vocalist Julien Ehrich: “Wow,” he frowned, “this place smells of cow shit.”
2017 June 26, Alexis Petridis, “Glastonbury 2017 verdict: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Lorde, Stormzy and more”, in the Guardian
Synonyms & antonyms
verblook angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
frown · noun
- Middle Englishfrown
- Englishfrown
From Middle English frown, froun (“a threatening appearance; lowering of the clouds”), from frounen (“to frown”). See below.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →frown · verb
- Proto-Celtic*srognā“nose”
- Frankish*hrunkwittjā“wrinkle”
- Medieval Latinfruncāre“to wrinkle, crease, turn up one's nose, make a face, frown”
- Old Frenchfroignier
- Middle Englishfrounen“to frown as an expression of disapproval, displeasure, shame, fear, or jealousy”
- Englishfrown
From Middle English frounen (“to frown as an expression of disapproval, displeasure, shame, fear, or jealousy”), from Old French froignier, froingnier, frognier (“to wrinkle the mouth or forehead, frown, scowl”), of uncertain and disputed origin. Perhaps from Medieval Latin fruncāre (“to wrinkle, crease, turn up one's nose, make a face, frown”) (compare Old High German fruncetura (“wrinkle”), via Latin), from Frankish *hrunkwittjā (“wrinkle”)/*hrunkwōn (“to wrinkle”), whence Old High German runza (“wrinkle”). See also French froncer (“to frown, scowl”). Alternatively, perhaps from Gaulish *frognā (“nostril”), from Proto-Celtic *srognā (“nose”). Still yet, perhaps of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish fryna (“to frown, frown with one's nose, make a wry face”), Norwegian frøyna (“to wrinkle up one's nose, make a wry face; snort”). Compare also dialectal English frine (“to frown, whine, complain”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans frons, frons
- fronswrinkling of the forehead
- fronsto have a frown on one's face
Ancient Greek σκυθρωπάζω
- σκυθρωπάζω (skuthrōpázō)to have a frown on one's face
Arabic عُبُوسة, عُبُوس
- عُبُوسة (ʕubūsa)wrinkling of the forehead
- عُبُوس (ʕubūs)wrinkling of the forehead
- عَبَسَ (ʕabasa)to have a frown on one's face
- عَقَدَ حَاجِبَيْهُ (ʕaqada ḥājibayhu)to have a frown on one's face
Bulgarian смръщване, мръ́щя се
- смръщване (smrăštvane)wrinkling of the forehead
- мръ́щя се (mrắštja se)to have a frown on one's face
- чуме́ря се (čumérja se)to have a frown on one's face
Catalan arrufar les celles, arrufar el nas
- arrufar les cellesto have a frown on one's face
- arrufar el nasto look with disfavour or threateningly
Chinese Cantonese 皺眉頭 /皱眉头, 扁嘴
- 皺眉頭 /皱眉头 (zau³ mei⁴ tau⁴)to have a frown on one's face
- 扁嘴 (bin² zeoi²)to have a frown on one's face
Chinese Mandarin 愁眉苦臉 /愁眉苦脸, 皺眉 /皱眉
- 愁眉苦臉 /愁眉苦脸 (chóuméikǔliǎn)wrinkling of the forehead
- 皺眉 /皱眉 (zhòuméi)wrinkling of the forehead
- 皺眉 /皱眉 (zhòuméi)to have a frown on one's face
- 蹙額 /蹙额 (cù'é)to have a frown on one's face
- 蹙眉 (cùméi)to have a frown on one's face
- 顰 /颦 (pín)to have a frown on one's face
Czech mračit se, zamračit se
- mračit seto have a frown on one's face
- zamračit seto have a frown on one's face
Danish rynke panden, skule
- rynke pandento have a frown on one's face
- skuleto look with disfavour or threateningly
Dutch frons, fronsen
- fronswrinkling of the forehead
- fronsento have a frown on one's face
Esperanto malrideto
- malridetowrinkling of the forehead
Estonian kulmu kortsutama, kulme kortsutama
- kulmu kortsutamato have a frown on one's face
- kulme kortsutamato have a frown on one's face
Finnish otsan rypistys, kulmien kurtistus
- otsan rypistyswrinkling of the forehead
- kulmien kurtistuswrinkling of the forehead
- rypistää otsaansato have a frown on one's face
- kurtistaa kulmiaanto have a frown on one's face
French froncement, froncer les sourcils
- froncementwrinkling of the forehead
- froncer les sourcilsto have a frown on one's face
German finsterer Blick, Stirnrunzeln
- finsterer Blickwrinkling of the forehead
- Stirnrunzelnwrinkling of the forehead
- Flunschdownturn of the corners of the mouth
- Hängenlassen der Mundwinkeldownturn of the corners of the mouth
- hängende Mundwinkeldownturn of the corners of the mouth
- die Stirn runzelnto have a frown on one's face
Greek συνοφρύωση, συνοφρυώνομαι
- συνοφρύωση (synofrýosi)wrinkling of the forehead
- συνοφρυώνομαι (synofryónomai)to have a frown on one's face
Hungarian homlokráncolás, ráncolja a homlokát
- homlokráncoláswrinkling of the forehead
- ráncolja a homlokátto have a frown on one's face
- ráncolja a szemöldökétto have a frown on one's face
Icelandic gretta, ygglibrún
- grettawrinkling of the forehead
- ygglibrúnwrinkling of the forehead
- vanþóknunarsvipurwrinkling of the forehead
- hnykla brýnnarto have a frown on one's face
- hleypa brúnumto have a frown on one's face
- yggla sigto have a frown on one's face
Irish púic
- púicwrinkling of the forehead
Italian accigliato, accigliamento
- accigliatowrinkling of the forehead
- accigliamentowrinkling of the forehead
- corrucciowrinkling of the forehead
- corrucciamentowrinkling of the forehead
- accigliarsito have a frown on one's face
- corrucciarsito have a frown on one's face
- imbronciareto have a frown on one's face
- immusonirsito have a frown on one's face
- risentirsito have a frown on one's face
- imbronciarsito have a frown on one's face
Japanese 顔を顰める
- 顔を顰める (kao o shikameru)to have a frown on one's face
Korean 눈살을 찌푸리다, 찡그리다
- 눈살을 찌푸리다 (nunsar-eul jjipurida)to have a frown on one's face
- 찡그리다 (jjinggeurida)to have a frown on one's face
Māori kōruru te rae
- kōruru te raeto have a frown on one's face
Norwegian Bokmål rynke pannen, skule
- rynke pannento have a frown on one's face
- skuleto look with disfavour or threateningly
Persian اخم, اخم کردن
- اخم (axm)wrinkling of the forehead
- اخم کردن (axm kardan)to have a frown on one's face
- پیشانی ترش کردن (pišâni torš kardan)to have a frown on one's face
Polish zmarszczenie brwi, marszczyć brwi
- zmarszczenie brwiwrinkling of the forehead
- marszczyć brwito have a frown on one's face
- zmarszczyć brwito have a frown on one's face
Portuguese franzimento, fazer cara feia
- franzimentowrinkling of the forehead
- fazer cara feiato have a frown on one's face
- franzir o cenhoto have a frown on one's face
Romanian încruntare, încrunta
- încruntarewrinkling of the forehead
- încruntato have a frown on one's face
Russian нахму́ренные бро́ви, насу́пленные бро́ви
- нахму́ренные бро́ви (naxmúrennyje bróvi)wrinkling of the forehead
- насу́пленные бро́ви (nasúplennyje bróvi)wrinkling of the forehead
- хму́рый взгляд (xmúryj vzgljad)wrinkling of the forehead
- хму́риться (xmúritʹsja)to have a frown on one's face
- нахму́риться (naxmúritʹsja)to have a frown on one's face
- хму́рить бро́ви (xmúritʹ bróvi)to have a frown on one's face
- нахму́рить бро́ви (naxmúritʹ bróvi)to have a frown on one's face
- су́питься (súpitʹsja)to have a frown on one's face
- насу́пливаться (nasúplivatʹsja)to have a frown on one's face
- насу́питься (nasúpitʹsja)to have a frown on one's face
Slovak mračiť sa, zamračiť sa
- mračiť sato have a frown on one's face
- zamračiť sato have a frown on one's face
Spanish ceño, zuño
- ceñowrinkling of the forehead
- zuñowrinkling of the forehead
- encapotadurawrinkling of the forehead
- encapotamientowrinkling of the forehead
- fruncir el ceñoto have a frown on one's face
- arrugar el ceñoto have a frown on one's face
- torcer el gestoto have a frown on one's face
- poner gestoto have a frown on one's face
- encapotarseto have a frown on one's face
Swedish rynka pannan
- rynka pannanto have a frown on one's face
Tagalog simangot, mungot
- simangotwrinkling of the forehead
- mungotwrinkling of the forehead
- busangotwrinkling of the forehead
- sumimangotto have a frown on one's face
Thai ขมวดคิ้ว
- ขมวดคิ้วwrinkling of the forehead
Turkish kaç çatma, kaşlarını çatmak
- kaç çatmawrinkling of the forehead
- kaşlarını çatmakto have a frown on one's face
Ukrainian хму́ритися, нахму́ритися
- хму́ритися (xmúrytysja)to have a frown on one's face
- нахму́ритися (naxmúrytysja)to have a frown on one's face
- су́питися (súpytysja)to have a frown on one's face
- насу́плюватися (nasúpljuvatysja)to have a frown on one's face
- насу́питися (nasúpytysja)to have a frown on one's face
- не схва́лювати (ne sxváljuvaty)to look with disfavour or threateningly
Vietnamese cau mày, chau mày
- cau màywrinkling of the forehead
- chau màywrinkling of the forehead
Welsh cilwg, cuwch
- cilwgwrinkling of the forehead
- cuwchwrinkling of the forehead
- gwgwrinkling of the forehead
- blwngwrinkling of the forehead
- cadwchwrinkling of the forehead
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with frown
Cite this entry
frown. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frown
“frown.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frown. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frown,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frown.
Source: frown on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.