scowl
To make an angry, cross face by pulling your eyebrows down; or that angry face itself.
scowl in a sentence
- Instead of answering, Tom just scowled at me from across the classroom.
- The goalkeeper began to scowl, eyebrows pulled right down, after letting in such a soft goal.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to scowl?
- Abeam
- Bgrin
- Cfrown
- Dsmile
Show the answer
C: frown. The other three mean the opposite of scowl.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to scowl?
- Aglare
- Bsmile
- Cfrown
- Dsulk
Show the answer
B: smile. The other three mean nearly the same as scowl.
Words that mean something similar
frown, glare, sulk
Words that mean the opposite
smile, grin, beam
Careful: scowl is not glare
A glare is an angry stare at someone. A scowl is an angry face, whoever is looking. Read why children mix them up.
More words about appearance & looks
- shabby: Old, worn out and scruffy-looking.
- sleek: Smooth, shiny and well cared for.
- splendid: Extremely good or beautiful to look at.
- stately: Grand, dignified and impressive.
- stout: Rather fat and solid, or strong and thick.
- sturdy: Strong and solidly built, not easily broken.
- superb: Extremely good; among the very best.
- tarnish: To make something less shiny or spoil how good it seems.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test