Meanings
scowl1
nounscowl (plural scowls)
plural scowls
- The wrinkling of the brows or face in frowning; the expression of displeasure, sullenness, or discontent in the countenance; an angry frown.
She made a scowl.
- broadlyGloom; dark or threatening aspect.
Mr. Pynsent, who had asked Miss Amory to dance, came up on one occasion to claim her hand, but scowls of recognition having already passed between him and Mr. Arthur Pendennis in the dancing-room, Arthur suddenly rose up and claimed Miss Amory as his partner for the present dance […]
1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 46, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC
verbscowl (third-person singular simple present scowls, present participle scowling, simple past and past participle scowled)
present singular third person scowls · participle present scowling · participle past scowled · past scowled
- intransitiveTo wrinkle the brows, as in frowning or displeasure; to put on a frowning look; to look sour, sullen, severe, or angry.
She scould, and frownd with froward countenaunce
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 35 - broadlyintransitiveTo look gloomy, dark, or threatening; to lower.
The scowling heavens.
a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC - transitiveTo express by a scowl.
to scowl defiance
scowl2
nounscowl (uncountable)
- UKdialectalobsoleteuncountableOld workings of iron ore.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishscowlen
- Englishscowl
From Middle English scowlen, scoulen, skoulen (also as Middle English schoulen), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Danish skule (“to scowl”), Norwegian skule (“to scowl”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عُبُوس, عَبَسَ
- عُبُوس (ʕubūs)wrinkling of the brows or face
- عَبَسَ (ʕabasa)to wrinkle the brows
- عَبَسَ (ʕabasa)to look gloomy
Bulgarian намръщване, мръщя се
- намръщване (namrăštvane)wrinkling of the brows or face
- мръщя се (mrăštja se)to wrinkle the brows
Catalan front arrufat, mirada amenaçadora
- front arrufatwrinkling of the brows or face
- mirada amenaçadoragloom; dark or threatening aspect
- arrufar les cellesto wrinkle the brows
- fer una mala miradato look gloomy
- donar una miradato look at or repel with a scowl or a frown
- etzibarto express by a scowl
Chinese Mandarin 皺眉 /皱眉, 皺眉 /皱眉
- 皺眉 /皱眉 (zhòuméi)wrinkling of the brows or face
- 皺眉 /皱眉 (zhòuméi)to wrinkle the brows
Czech zakabonění se, zamračení
- zakabonění sewrinkling of the brows or face
- zamračeníwrinkling of the brows or face
- zamračený výrazwrinkling of the brows or face
- kabonit seto wrinkle the brows
- zamračit seto wrinkle the brows
- mračit seto wrinkle the brows
Dutch fronsen
- fronsento wrinkle the brows
Finnish kurtistus, murjotus
- kurtistuswrinkling of the brows or face
- murjotuswrinkling of the brows or face
- synkkä ilmegloom; dark or threatening aspect
- mulkoilugloom; dark or threatening aspect
- murjotusgloom; dark or threatening aspect
- kurtistaato wrinkle the brows
- murjottaato wrinkle the brows
- synkistelläto look gloomy
- julmistellato look gloomy
- murjottaato look gloomy
- mulkoillato look at or repel with a scowl or a frown
- mulkoillato express by a scowl
French froncement, froncer
- froncementwrinkling of the brows or face
- froncerto wrinkle the brows
- froncer les sourcilsto wrinkle the brows
German Stirnrunzeln, finster blicken
- Stirnrunzelnwrinkling of the brows or face
- finster blickento look gloomy
- düster dreinblickento look gloomy
Greek αγριοκοιτάζω, αγριοκοιτάζω
- αγριοκοιτάζω (agriokoitázo)to wrinkle the brows
- αγριοκοιτάζω (agriokoitázo)to look at or repel with a scowl or a frown
- αγριοκοιτάζω (agriokoitázo)to express by a scowl
Irish púic
- púicwrinkling of the brows or face
Italian cipiglio, accigliarsi
- cipigliowrinkling of the brows or face
- accigliarsito wrinkle the brows
- guardare in cagnescoto look at or repel with a scowl or a frown
Japanese しかめる, 顰める
- しかめる (shikameru)wrinkling of the brows or face
- 顰めるto wrinkle the brows
- にらむ (niramu)to wrinkle the brows
Māori tukemata, kōruru te rae
- tukematawrinkling of the brows or face
- kōruru te raeto wrinkle the brows
- whakapoururuto look gloomy
Persian دژبرویی
- دژبرویی (dožboruyi)wrinkling of the brows or face
Portuguese carranca, cenho
- carrancawrinkling of the brows or face
- cenhowrinkling of the brows or face
- franzir o cenhoto wrinkle the brows
Romanian încrunta
- încruntato wrinkle the brows
Russian нахму́ренность, хму́рить бро́ви
- нахму́ренность (naxmúrennostʹ)wrinkling of the brows or face
- хму́рить бро́ви (xmúritʹ bróvi)to wrinkle the brows
- хму́риться (xmúritʹsja)to wrinkle the brows
- мо́рщить лоб (mórščitʹ lob)to wrinkle the brows
- мо́рщиться (mórščitʹsja)to wrinkle the brows
- хму́риться (xmúritʹsja)to look gloomy
- нахму́риться (naxmúritʹsja)to look gloomy
Swedish bister uppsyn
- bister uppsynwrinkling of the brows or face
Ukrainian насупленість
- насупленість (nasúplenist’)wrinkling of the brows or face
Welsh cadwch
- cadwchwrinkling of the brows or face
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with scowl
Powellfoulowltowelbowelvowelfowlhowlgrowlcowlprowljouleafoulauljowldisembowelyowlbefoulcawlcheek by jowldefouldisemvoweldowleembowel
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
scowl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scowl
MLA
“scowl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scowl. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scowl,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scowl.
Source: scowl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.