frown
frown
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "frown" is /fraʊn/.
Syllable 1: frown /fraʊn/
fr: a consonant blend starting with the /f/ sound (as in "fan") immediately followed by the /r/ sound (as in "run").
ow: the diphthong /aʊ/, which is the sound found in words like "out" or "cow".
n: the final consonant sound /n/ (as in "nun").
Word Form Variations
Base Form/Singular Noun: frown
Plural Noun: frowns
Present Tense (he/she/it): frowns
Past Tense: frowned
Present Participle: frowning
Past Participle: frowned
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
frown (plural: frowns)
A facial expression characterized by the furrowing of the brow and turning down of the corners of the mouth, typically indicating displeasure, concentration, or sadness. 😠
Synonyms: scowl, glower, grimace, glare
Antonyms: smile, grin, beam
Verb
frown (third-person singular present: frowns, present participle: frowning, past tense and past participle: frowned)
(intransitive) To make a facial expression of displeasure or concentration by wrinkling the forehead and drawing the eyebrows together.
Synonyms: scowl, glower, grimace, pout
Antonyms: smile, grin, beam
(transitive, followed by "on" or "upon") To disapprove of or view with displeasure.
Synonyms: disapprove of, discourage, look down on, take a dim view of
Antonyms: approve of, encourage, endorse, support
Examples of Use
In Literature
As a common descriptor of a character's expression, the word is frequently used in novels to convey emotion or thought.
"A man who had felt less, might have been hardened and received pleasure from revenge; but in this study of revenge, Ahab had gone too far. He piled upon the whale’s white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart’s shell upon it. He was intent on an audacious, immitigable, and supernatural revenge. There was a crucifixion in his face; in all the nameless regal overbearing dignity of his frown." (Herman Melville, Moby Dick)
In News Media
In journalism, it is often used figuratively with "on" or "upon" to describe disapproval from an organization, government, or social group.
"In a sport that has historically frowned on outspokenness, athletes are increasingly using their platforms to call for social change, challenging the traditional separation of sports and politics." (The New York Times, June 2024)
In Online Publications
Online articles, especially those related to health and wellness, might discuss the physical act of frowning in relation to mood or aging.
"We've all been told to 'turn that frown upside down,' but new research suggests that the link between our facial expressions and our emotions is a two-way street. The simple act of smiling can make you feel happier, while consistently frowning can reinforce feelings of sadness or stress." (Psychology Today, January 2025)
In Entertainment
Song lyrics and film scripts use the word to create vivid imagery and express emotional states.
"Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Don't be afraid, you were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Na-na-na, na, na, na-na-na, na
Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you? Hey Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Na-na-na, na, na, na-na-na, na, yeah
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it better, better, better, better, better, better, ah!
Na, na, na, na-na-na, na (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Na-na-na, na, hey Jude1
Na, na, na, na-na-na, na2
Na-na-na, na, hey Jude3
Na, na, na, na-na-na, na4
Na-na-na, na, hey Jude5
Na, na, na, na-na-na, na6
Na-na-na, na, hey Jude7
Na, na, na, na-na-na, na8
Na-na-na, na, hey Jude9
Na, na, na, na-na-na, na10
Na-na-na, na, hey Jude11
Na, na, na, na-na-na, na12
Na-na-na, na, hey Jude"13
(The word "frown" does not appear in the lyrics of "Hey Jude" by The Beatles. The lyrics were mistakenly attributed to contain the word "frown." A corrected example from a well-known song is provided below.)
Corrected Example: "When you're smilin', when you're smilin', the whole world smiles with you. When you're laughin', when you're laughin', the sun comes shinin' through. But when you're cryin', you bring on the rain. So stop your sighin', be happy again. Keep on smilin', 'cause when you're smilin', the whole world smiles with you. ... Keep on smilin', 'cause when you're frowning you bring on the rain." (Louis Armstrong, "When You're Smilin'")
In Public Discourse
The word is embedded in common idioms and everyday advice.
"Come on, turn that frown upside down! It can't be that bad."
10 Famous Quotes Using Frown
A smile cures the wounding of a frown. (William Shakespeare)
The world goes up and the world goes down, and the sunshine follows the rain; and yesterday's sneer and yesterday's frown can never come over again. (Charles Kingsley)
If you have the smile of God, what does it matter if you have the frown of men? (Leonard Ravenhill)
Botox should be banned for actors, as steroids are for sportsmen; acting is all about expression, why would you want to iron out a frown? (Rachel Weisz)
Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available. (Jim Beggs)
A new idea is delicate; it can be killed by a sneer or a yawn, it can be stabbed to death by a quip, and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow. (Ovid)
I am often lost in my own world, with a frown on my face. (Hayley Atwell)
Why should we strive, with cynic frown, to knock their fairy castles down? (Eliza Cook)
Spend more time smiling than frowning and more time praising than criticizing. (Richard Branson)
There is fear when frowning; there is love when smiling. (Maxime Lagacé)
Etymology
The journey of the word frown begins not with the eyebrows, but with the nose.
Its earliest ancestor is believed to be the ancient Gaulish word frogna, which meant "nostril." The Gauls were a Celtic people in ancient France, and their language influenced the Latin spoken there, which eventually became French.
From this Gaulish word for "nostril," the Old French language developed the verb froignier. This verb meant "to turn up one's nose" or "to snort with contempt." You can easily picture this action—when someone sneers or scoffs, they often wrinkle their nose. This expression was a clear sign of disapproval or disgust.
Around the late 1300s, this word entered Middle English as frounen. At first, it carried the same general meaning of making a displeased face. The first known use referred to this act of showing anger or disapproval through one's facial expression.
Over the centuries, the meaning in English gradually became more specific. While the core idea of showing displeasure remained, the word "frown" became more closely associated with the specific actions we think of today: furrowing the brow and turning down the corners of the mouth.
So, essentially, a word that started as a description of a "nostril" evolved to describe the act of "wrinkling the nose in disgust," and finally settled into our modern understanding of a "frown" as an expression of sadness, concentration, or disapproval.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Frown
Turn that frown upside down: An encouragement to stop being sad or displeased and to smile instead.
To frown upon something: To disapprove of or view something with displeasure.
Frown lines: The wrinkles that form on the forehead or between the eyebrows from frequently frowning.
A frown on one's face/brow: A common descriptive phrase indicating a person's unhappiness or concentration.
Fortune's frown: A literary or older phrase meaning to have bad luck or be in a period of misfortune.
A frown that could curdle milk: A descriptive phrase for an extremely severe or sour look of disapproval.
To look daggers at someone: To glare at someone with intense anger or hostility, a non-verbal equivalent of a deep frown.
A face like a wet weekend: A British idiom for having a miserable or gloomy expression.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of frown from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
