顰 (pín) - To frown & to knit one's brows

顰Tone 2

pín ｜ 24 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

顰 · pín

To frown;

to knit one's brows;

to express worry, displeasure, or deep thought through facial expression.

To frownto knit one's browsto express worry, displeasure, or deep thought through

Usage highlights

To frownTo knit one's browsFrowning expressionSlight frownFrowning beautyFrowning and smiling

Synonyms

  • 蹙— To knit; to frown; to contract
  • 皺眉— To frown; to knit eyebrows

Antonyms

  • 笑— To smile; to laugh
  • 展眉— To smooth one's brows; to look happy

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She frowned at the bad news (她顰眉 at the bad news).
  • The beauty frowned slightly (美人微顰).
  • He knitted his brows in deep thought (他顰眉深思).
  • Her frowning expression was still beautiful (顰態依然美麗).

Collocations

  • To frown(顰眉)
  • To knit one's brows(顰蹙)
  • Frowning expression(顰態)
  • Slight frown(微顰)
  • Frowning beauty(顰女)
  • Frowning and smiling(顰笑)

Idioms

  • Dong Shi imitates the frown(東施效顰)
  • Frowning brows and sorrowful eyes(顰眉蹙目)
  • To frown and sigh(顰歎)
  • Frowning and worrying(顰憂)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character appears in the famous idiom 'Dong Shi imitates the frown' (東施效顰), which warns against blind imitation without understanding the context.
  • In classical Chinese aesthetics, a slight frown was sometimes considered an attractive, pensive expression for women.
  • The character is composed of elements suggesting 'frequent' and 'forehead', literally meaning frequent wrinkling of the forehead.

FAQ