scowl

IPA/skaʊl/
KK[skˈaʊl]IPA/skaʊl/

scowl — verb

  • scowlpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • scowlshe / she / it
  • scowledpast simple
  • scowling-ing form

1. to lower your eyebrows and stare in a way that clearly shows anger, irritation,

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to lower your eyebrows and stare in a way that clearly shows anger, irritation, or strong dislike

Example

Amara scowled at her brother when he ate the last piece of cake.

scowl + at + person — directing anger at someone

The teacher scowled, and the two whispering boys immediately fell silent.

scowl used alone (no 'at') — the expression itself is enough

Common collocations
  • scowl at someone
  • scowl darkly
  • scowl fiercely
  • scowl in disgust
Synonyms
  • glare

    more intense and direct than scowl; implies staring at someone for longer with open hostility

  • frown

    broader term — can express confusion, concentration, or sadness, not only anger

  • glower

    a very intense, sustained angry stare; more literary and stronger than scowl

Antonyms
  • smile

    an expression of happiness or friendliness, the opposite facial gesture

  • grin

    a broad, open smile — opposite in both emotion and facial movement

Grammar Patterns

scowl + at + someone/something

scowl + adverb

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'at' when the target of the angry look is mentioned. The subject is typically a person; using 'scowl' for animals is possible but mainly in literary descriptions.

Common Mistakes

She scowled with sadness at the funeral.
She frowned with sadness at the funeral.
A scowl always shows anger or irritation, not sadness or grief.
He scowled to the noisy children.
He scowled at the noisy children.
The correct preposition is 'at', not 'to'.

scowl — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Scowl, frown, glare, and glower all describe facial expressions that involve tightening the brow, but they differ in emotion and intensity. A scowl always signals anger or irritation — you scowl at someone who has annoyed you. A frown is the broadest term: you can frown in confusion while reading a contract, frown in concentration while threading a needle, or frown with sadness at bad news. A glare is an intense, direct, hostile stare — you glare at an enemy or a rude stranger, holding eye contact longer than a scowl. A glower is the strongest of the four: a dark, sustained stare full of menace, often used in literary descriptions of villains or thunderstorm skies. In everyday speech, scowl is your go-to for ordinary anger; reserve glare for open hostility.

frown ↗glare ↗glower ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a scowl on one's face

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Scowl comes from Middle English scoulen, meaning 'to frown or look angry'. It is probably borrowed from Old Norse, related to the Danish word skule ('to scowl, to cast down the eyes') and the Norwegian skula ('to peer sideways with suspicion'). The word has carried its core meaning — an angry facial expression — for over 600 years with very little change.