English → Latin
“frown” in Latin
īraire, anger, wrathfrōnsthe forehead, brow, front; the brow or countenance as an indicator of the feelings; as the mirror of a person's charactesuperciliumThe eyebrow.; The nod, the will.; Pride, haughtiness, arrogance, sternness, superciliousness.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
frown v.
frontem contrahere (frontem rugare, not prae-Augustan; Cf, never frontem corrugare): supercilia contrahere (angrily, ira, Quint., 11, 3, 79; opposed to deducere tristitia; remittere hilaritate. Cic. has superciliorum contractio; hence the phrase is, no doubt, quite classical): vultum adducere: vultus acerbos or tristes sumere (to look sullen). You are frowning, vultus tuus rugas colligit et trahit (al. attrahit) frontem (i. e., assumes a serious or gloomy air, Sen., Benef., 6, 7, 1): to frown at anybody (IMPROP.), aliquem inimico vultu intueri; iratos oculos defigere in aliquem (stronger term, Ov., Am., 2, 8, 15); also, animo iniquo infestoque intueri (Liv.).
frown s.
vultus severus ac tristis: supercilium (inasmuch as one contracts or wrinkles the eyebrows; Vid: Cic., Sext., 8, 19; Martisalis, 11, 2, 1): oculi truces: vultus trux (a gloomy and furious look).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for frown?
- The usual Latin words for “frown” are īra, frōns, supercilium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.