lour
/'lauə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb (intransitive):
- To look angry or sullen; to frown or wrinkle one's brow, often as a sign of disapproval or displeasure.
- (Of the sky or weather) To appear dark, gloomy, or threatening.
Verb (transitive):
- To make something lower or quieter; to reduce in intensity, volume, or level.
- To set something to a lower position or value.
Examples of Usage
Verb (intransitive):
- The manager began to lour when he saw the incomplete report. (He frowned or looked sullen.)
- Dark clouds lour over the mountains, promising a storm. (The sky looks dark and threatening.)
Verb (transitive):
- Please lour the music; it's too loud for conversation. (Reduce the volume.)
- The company had to lour its profit forecasts for the quarter. (Lower its expectations.)
Advanced Usage
- "to lour at/upon someone": To scowl or glare at someone.
- She loured at the noisy customer until he quieted down.
- "to lour over": (Of something ominous) To hang over threateningly.
- A sense of dread loured over the village.
Variants and Related Words
- Lower (verb): The more common spelling for the transitive meanings (to make something less high, loud, or intense). "Lour" is often considered a variant spelling for these meanings, though "lower" is standard.
- Glower (verb): A close synonym for the intransitive meaning of looking angry or sullen. It implies a fierce, angry stare.
- Frown (verb): A more common synonym for the facial expression of displeasure.
Synonyms
- For "look sullen": Glower, scowl, frown, glare.
- For "appear dark/threatening": Darken, loom, threaten.
- For "make lower": Reduce, decrease, diminish, quiet, turn down.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Lour" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The more common verb "lower" is used instead.) - Lower away: A nautical command to lower something, like a boat. - Lower oneself: To behave in a way that is beneath one's dignity. * He wouldn't lower himself to argue with them.
Related Idioms
- Look like thunder: An idiom similar to the intransitive "lour," meaning to look very angry.
- When he heard the news, he looked like thunder.
- Lower the boom: To punish someone severely or to put a stop to something forcefully.
- The principal finally lowered the boom on the bullies.
Verb
- look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
- make lower or quieter
- turn down the volume of a radio
- set lower
- lower a rating
- lower expectations