lowbrow
pronunciation
How to pronounce lowbrow in British English:
UK [ˈləʊbraʊ]
How to pronounce lowbrow in American English:
US [ˈloʊbraʊ]
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- Noun:
- a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
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- Adjective:
- characteristic of a person who is not cultivated or does not have intellectual tastes
Word Origin
- lowbrow (n.)
- also low-brow, "person who is not intellectual," 1902, from low (adj.) + brow. Said to have been coined by U.S. journalist Will Irwin (1873-1948). A low brow on a man as a sign of primitive qualities was common in 19c. fiction, but it also was considered a mark of classical beauty in women. A low brow and not a very high one is considered beautiful in woman, whereas a high brow and not a low one is the stamp of manhood. ["Medical Review," June 2, 1894] As an adjective from 1913.
Antonym
Example
- 1. She enjoys going to lowbrow action movies once in a while .
- 2. That lowbrow prefers pornography to fine art .
- 3. Something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality .
- 4. Although he sometimes worked for the bbc , he preferred the more lowbrow independent television .
- 5. So far at least , commentaries in the official media have dwelt mainly on lowbrow entertainment on television and the internet .