Phrasal Verbs

frown on

This page is about the phrasal verb frown on

Meaning

to disapprove of something

For example

  • frown on sth Suzie's father frowned on the idea of her becoming a dancer, but her mother said she should do it if she was talented enough to succeed.

  • be frowned on Long hair on boys is no longer banned in our school, though lots of teachers still frown on it.

Note:
We can make this phrasal verb more formal by using "upon" instead of "on", as in "The judge had always frowned upon the use of cameras in his courtroom."

Quick Quiz

When early rock-n-roll singers like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry first became popular with teenagers, many parents frowned on them. They thought the music was

a. harmful to their kids

b. good for their kids

c. disliked by their kids
a) harmful to their kids b) good for their kids c) disliked by their kids

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1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context

Contributor: Matt Errey