Frowning Uses Fewer Muscles Than People Claim
To frown is to draw the brows together. The popular claim that it takes more muscles than smiling has no reliable basis.
To frown is to draw the eyebrows together, showing displeasure or concentration. The familiar claim that frowning uses more muscles than smiling appears with wildly different numbers — 43 and 17, 62 and 26, 47 and 13 — and no anatomical source supports any of them. The counts vary because nobody is measuring anything. *Frown upon* means to disapprove of, and does not require any facial expression at all.
- To draw the brows together. *She frowned at the noise.*
- A frowning expression. *A deep frown.*
- Frown upon — to disapprove of. *Frowned upon here.*
- Scowl — an angrier version. *A dark scowl.*
- Furrow — the line a frown makes. *A furrowed brow.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | frown | He frowned. |
| Past | frowned | She frowned. |
| Noun | frown | A slight frown. |
| Adjective | frowning | A frowning face. |
| Old French | frognier | To turn up the nose. |
- She frowned at the question.Expression.
- Such conduct is frowned upon.Disapproval.
- The muscle-count claim is unfounded.Correction.
Faces of displeasure
- Frown — brows drawn together, may be concentration
- Scowl — angrier, with a downturned mouth
- Glower — a sustained angry stare
- Grimace — a twisted face, often from pain
- Wince — a brief flinch, usually from pain or embarrassment
Old French *frognier*, to frown or turn up the nose, probably of Celtic origin.
Does frowning use more muscles than smiling?
There is no reliable evidence. The numbers quoted vary wildly and no anatomical source supports any version.
Does frown upon require a facial expression?
No. It simply means to disapprove of something, usually as a matter of custom or policy.