scowl
pronunciation
How to pronounce scowl in British English: UK [skaʊl]
How to pronounce scowl in American English: US [skaʊl]
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- Noun:
- a facial expression of dislike or displeasure
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- Verb:
- frown with displeasure
Word Origin
- scowl (v.)
- mid-14c., from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian skule "look furtively, squint, look embarrassed," Danish skule "to scowl, cast down the eyes"). Probably related to Old English sceolh "wry, oblique," Old High German scelah "curved," German scheel "squint-eyed;" from PIE root *sqel- "crooked, curved, bent." Related: Scowled; scowling.
- scowl (n.)
- c. 1500, from scowl (v.).
Example
- 1. He growled , lips curled into a scowl .
- 2. And here he comes with that trademark arrogant scowl .
- 3. I turned to james , and noticed his scowl .
- 4. Their inability to scowl seemed to impair their ability to see why pushy telemarketers or a lack of birthday wishes might make one 's face fall .
- 5. He gave her a bad-tempered scowl .