What does scowling mean?
Scowling describes a facial expression that communicates anger, displeasure, suspicion, or harsh disapproval. A person who is scowling lowers the brow, narrows the eyes, and often presses the lips together, producing a visibly negative expression. The word is especially common in narratives, where it can establish a character's mood or suggest conflict without needing direct dialogue. As the present participle of the verb scowl, it can also describe the action itself: someone scowls at a person or object to express displeasure. Although similar in sound and spelling to scowl, the two forms serve different grammatical functions: scowl is the verb and countable noun, while scowling functions as an adjective or present participle. The expression is understood in both British and American English.
Displaying an angry, disapproving, or unpleasant facial expression.
"He entered the room with a scowling expression."
Often used before words such as face, expression, or look, but it can also describe a person depicted in an angry or forbidding way.
Present participle of scowl: looking or glaring angrily or disapprovingly.
"The guard scowled at the stranger."
This form normally appears with an auxiliary verb or in progressive constructions.
A scowl can communicate displeasure before a single word is spoken.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does scowling come from?
Scowl is recorded in English from the late 16th century. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, although it has been associated with Old Scandinavian vocabulary connected with looking sullen or displeased. The present-participle form scowling follows the regular English pattern of adding -ing to the verb.
Related word forms
How scowling is actually used
Scowling is forceful and usually conveys anger, irritation, suspicion, or emphatic disapproval. It is commonly used in narrative description and may be somewhat dramatic or exaggerated.
Easily confused with scowling
A scowl is a facial expression or the act of making one, whereas scowling describes the angry expression or the act of scowling.