as in glared
to look with anger or disapproval
the boss just stood there and frowned at his assistant who, once again, was in trouble
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Recent Examples of frowned
As the odd man out, Meta does not have a public cloud, and its capex increase was frowned upon by investors.
—
Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 6 May 2026
While Splitter remains a candidate for the full-time job, the franchise opened its search before the season ended, a practice that is frowned upon league-wide.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Levin has not denied paying for story tips, which is frowned upon by traditional journalism outlets.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Mother frowned, then perked up.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
At many traditional Japanese ryokans and onsen hot springs, tattoos are frowned upon, and tattooed guests will be refused entry.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Williams hadn’t qualified but jumped in as a bandit – a practice that is prohibited now but happened more regularly back then (although it was frowned upon).
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
Unlike today, the federal government during the Great Depression frowned upon mega companies and Congress passed the Air Mail Act of 1934.
—John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, loud prints and bright colors are frowned upon — something tournament organizers addressed with Jason Day in 2024.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 6 May 2026
While Splitter remains a candidate for the full-time job, the franchise opened its search before the season ended, a practice that is frowned upon league-wide.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Levin has not denied paying for story tips, which is frowned upon by traditional journalism outlets.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Mother frowned, then perked up.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
At many traditional Japanese ryokans and onsen hot springs, tattoos are frowned upon, and tattooed guests will be refused entry.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Williams hadn’t qualified but jumped in as a bandit – a practice that is prohibited now but happened more regularly back then (although it was frowned upon).
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
Unlike today, the federal government during the Great Depression frowned upon mega companies and Congress passed the Air Mail Act of 1934.
—John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, loud prints and bright colors are frowned upon — something tournament organizers addressed with Jason Day in 2024.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowned
Verb
-
The two-time Masters champion spun, glared at the spectator, grumbled under his breath and seemed to point out the person to security.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
The two-time Masters champion spun, glared at the spectator, grumbled under his breath and seemed to point out the person to security.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Those that attended mostly sat and scowled.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Another line of attack likens the show to when bachelorette parties invade gay bars — a practice frequently scowled upon by gay patrons.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Colorado stared at a 3-0 deficit after the first intermission.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
-
Sashko stared at the fingers for a long time.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frowned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowned. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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