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If you look at this picture, how would you describe the mood and the eyes of the character?

enter image description here

I would not say she's angry. I would say she is concentrating to cut the object. However there are many kinds of concentration, and thus the eye expression can differ. This one gives me the feeling that she doesn't accept the existence of the object, and thus must kill it.

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    Grim determination?
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 10:29
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    i would argue that the eyebrows in that picture are indeed not raised, but pulled closer together and the inwards sides of the eyebrows are pulled down. Most movement of the eyebrows happens to the inner parts, so raising eyebrows would slant the outer side down.
    – loonquawl
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 14:07
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    they are furrowed brows. it is (possible) that such questions should be on ELL?
    – Fattie
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 15:39
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    @Fattie no, I'm finding an English word for this. I suppose that's what single-word-requests is for?
    – Ooker
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 16:56
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    Those are furrowed brows - but they aren't raised - if anything they are lowered! We tend to raise our eyebrows when surprised or processing new informaton, and lower / furrow them when focused or angry.
    – Level River St
    Commented Feb 27, 2021 at 2:34

7 Answers 7

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I would call them furrowed brows.

Definition of a furrowed brow from Cambridge Dictionary:

a forehead that has lines in the skin, usually caused by worry

Here’s an example of this phrase being used in the book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry:

But as he stared at the book’s inside cover[...], his brows furrowed. Then his eyes grew wide, and suddenly he sucked in his breath and sprang from his chair like a wounded animal, flinging the book onto the floor and stomping madly upon it"

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  • Would this word be used when you concentrate or determine? It seems like it's for negative emotions rather than positive emotions
    – Ooker
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 17:00
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    Hi @Ooker, I saw the picture you added with the worried-looking man. The expression is not limited to that. It refers to any emotion which causes the skin around the brows or forehead to crease. You can try doing an image search with "furrowed brows". You will see that the faces will express various different emotions. The common factor in my opinion is momentary stress.
    – hb20007
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 18:22
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I would say she looks Determined

(adj.) Marked by or showing determination; resolute.

Whatever she is cutting there, she looks very determined to get it done.

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    this is just a description of the person's emotions. the question is more like: "How do you describe these eyebrows when a person is determined?"
    – Fattie
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 15:39
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I would say you are looking for the word "frown". According to Merriam-Webster:

Definition of frown (Entry 2 of 2)
1: an expression of displeasure
2: a wrinkling of the brow in displeasure or concentration

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    Interesting, I've never seen this definition. In North America, a frown is an expression made with the mouth rather than the brow, essentially the opposite of a smile (giving rise to the phrase "turn that frown upside down"). The eyes and brow are often involved in a frown, but aren't required. I never knew it was different elsewhere!
    – Nuclear Hoagie
    Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 21:10
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    Interesting note on that: separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2016/09/frowns.html Frown when referring to the eyebrows is a generally British usage, but American English generally doesn't use it as such.
    – WillB3
    Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 21:11
  • Agreed, just another example of MW being useless and wrong.
    – Fattie
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 15:37
  • Data point: As an American, I've heard the set phrase "frowned in concentration," and always understood it to mean literally turned the corners of one's mouth down (as well as furrowing the brow) — connoting that this particular act of concentration was in fact displeasing and/or difficult for the frowner. I'm relatively shocked to learn the info in WillB3's linked blog post, and now wonder if to a Brit "frown in concentration" doesn't connote displeasure or difficulty at all! ("Furrowed his brow in concentration" connotes difficulty too, I suppose; or maybe puzzlement.)
    – Quuxplusone
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 18:36
  • I've also run across the expression "scowling in concentration" which seems pretty congruent to "frowning in concentration". By the way, in my (American) ideolect, "frowning" doesn't refer only to the mouth's configuration - it includes the "furrowed brow" aspect as well.
    – user888379
    Commented Feb 27, 2021 at 22:08
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"Eyebrows drawn in consternation" maybe.

"drawn eyebrows"
"eyebrows drawn"

Some examples from the two links:

...his eyes narrowed under his drawn eyebrows
...a questioning glance from under his drawn eyebrows
...his drawn eyebrows and worried mouth.
...his eyebrows drawn downward
...with an angry face, and his eyebrows drawn together
...his eyebrows drawn stiffly upwards

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  • I used to think this, but consternation means more along the lines of worry or emotional distress. It's closer to the expression you'd make when you're worried about the price of a stock or the outcome of a game of roulette.
    – Aaron Bell
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 5:47
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Middle-lowered (Eyebrow position)

When the middle of the eyebrows are pulled down so they slope inwards, this often shows that the person is angry or frustrated. It can also indicate intense concentration (http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyebrow_body_language.htm).

Glaring or eyes 'aglare.'

Glare: stare in an angry or fierce way, e.g."she glared at him, her cheeks flushing (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aglare)."

Google Aglare: glaring - "his eyes aglare with fury." First Known Use of - 1712, in the meaning [previously] defined.

The beauty accidentally stood on Cruz's flowing ivory gown, prompting aglare from the actress.Cruz,32, had started the evening all smiles as she arrived at the American Film Institute's screening of her film Volver in Hollywood. DRESSING DOWN

He stands up straight in his cage with his bright blue eyes aglare and shrieks in a perfect rage [and] braces his tough blue feet Maria do Carmo, please, give him a piece of raw meat-- Marianne, loan me a noun! Selections from Edgar Allan Poe & The Juke-Box (https://www.thefreedictionary.com/aglare)

As nouns the difference between frown and glare is that frown is a facial expression in which the eyebrows are brought together, and the forehead is wrinkled, usually indicating displeasure, sadness or worry, or less often confusion or concentration while glare is (uncountable) an intense, blinding light. As verbs the difference between frown and glare is that frown is to have a on one's face while glare is to stare angrily (https://wikidiff.com/frown/glare).

As an adjective glare is (us|of ice) smooth and bright or translucent; glary.

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"Knitted brows" is another option. See this definition at Merriam-Webster for "knit one's brows."

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If you're looking for a word that has both to do with the expression and concentration...

is "Focused" the word you are looking for?

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