frown — to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression by bringing your eyebrows together
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression by bringing your eyebrows together
Pronunciation (IPA): /fraʊn/
Example Sentences
- My mom always frowns when I forget to do the dishes
- The teacher frowned at the students who were talking during the exam
- He tried to solve the math problem but could only frown in confusion
frown
VERB[/fraʊn/]
to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression by bringing your eyebrows together
to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression by bringing your eyebrows together
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'frown' derives from Middle French 'froignier', which originally meant 'to sniff or snort' (literally, to wrinkle one's nose). Over time, the term evolved to describe a facial expression of displeasure or concentration, extending from the physical act of nose-wrinkling to the broader gesture of knitting one's brow.
Breakdown
froignier (Middle French: to sniff, to snort) → frown (to furrow the brow, to show displeasure). The semantic shift reflects a metonymy from nasal action to facial expression.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom always frowns when I forget to do the dishes”
“The teacher frowned at the students who were talking during the exam”
“He tried to solve the math problem but could only frown in confusion”
“My grandmother frowns upon people who use their phones at the dinner table”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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