To frown means to pull your eyebrows together and turn down the corners of your mouth, creating an expression that shows you're unhappy, confused, or disapproving. When your teacher frowns while reading your messy handwriting, her face shows she's not pleased. When you frown at a difficult math problem, your scrunched-up face reflects your confusion or frustration.

People frown for many reasons: disappointment, concentration, worry, or disapproval. A parent might frown when discovering you forgot your homework again. A coach might frown while studying the opposing team's strategy, deep in thought.

The word also works as a noun: “She wore a frown all through dinner” means her face showed unhappiness the whole time. When someone says they frown upon something, they mean they disapprove of it, like how many schools frown upon chewing gum in class.

A frown is often thought of as the opposite of a smile. Your face and your mood influence each other: sometimes changing your expression can actually shift how you feel inside.