Raise Eyebrows

Raise (a few) Eyebrows

idiom

To cause surprise or shock

Jemma’s miniskirt raised a few eyebrows at the board meeting.

Cambridge Dictionary

Raise an eyebrow to raise your eyebrows

If something causes you to raise an eyebrow or to raise your eyebrows, it causes you to feel surprised or disapproving.

An intriguing item on the news pages caused me to raise an eyebrow over my morning coffee.
He raised his eyebrows over some of the suggestions.
He was looking at her with his eyebrows raised questioningly.

Collins Cobuilt

The Britannica Dictionary   Ask the Editor

Question

What does it mean to “raise eyebrows”? — Sammy, Ghana

Answer

To raise eyebrows means to cause other people to react with surprise or mild disapproval. To raise an/your eyebrow means to move your eyebrows up in a way that shows surprise or mild disapproval.

Both of these phrases are often used figuratively.

The following example sentences show how each phrased is used.


To raise eyebrows

Her sudden outburst in class raised eyebrows. [=classmates reacted with surprise or mild disapproval to her outburst]
He raised eyebrows when he walked down the street in a winter coat during summer. [=people were surprised to see him in clothing that was not appropriate for the weather]

The band’s new album is raising eyebrows [=causing people to act with surprise or disapproval] with its shocking lyrics.

The scandal raised eyebrows
[=caused surprise and/or disapproval] all over town.

To raise an/your eyebrow

He raised an eyebrow at his mother when she bought a sports car. [=he was surprised that his mother bought a sports car]
The townspeople raised their eyebrows at the new strict laws. [=they felt disapproval towards the new laws]
No one raised an eyebrow [=no one was surprised] when he quit his job; he never liked it anyway.
Her brother raised an eyebrow [=he expressed surprise and/or disapproval] when she told him she was moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

The Britannica Dictionary


Raise your eyebrows

To move your eyebrows upwards in order to show surprise or disapproval

‘Really?’ she said, raising her eyebrows.
This decision caused a few raised eyebrows (=surprised some people).

→ eyebrow
Examples from the Corpus
raise your eyebrows
• She did not speak when he raised his eyebrows the second time, so in went onions, mustard and ketchup.
• He raised his eyebrows but he didn’t actually skewer my hand to his desk with his favourite kris.
• While he was pouring the drinks Ron the landlord raised his eyebrows at me.
• Your facial expressions can help to emphasize parts of your speech too: try smiling, scowling, or raising your eyebrows.
• Rose raised his eyebrows and drank a cup of Mrs Burbanks’ tea.
• She raised her eyebrows and drew out a hank of hair, backing slowly away from me.
raise your eyebrows
to show surprise, doubt, disapproval etc by moving your eyebrows upwards
Blanche raised her eyebrows in surprise.

→ raise
Examples from the Corpus
raise your eyebrows
• Your facial expressions can help to emphasize parts of your speech too: try smiling, scowling, or raising your eyebrows.
• Rose raised his eyebrows and drank a cup of Mrs Burbanks’ tea.
• She raised her eyebrows and drew out a hank of hair, backing slowly away from me.
• While he was pouring the drinks Ron the landlord raised his eyebrows at me.
• He raised his eyebrows but he didn’t actually skewer my hand to his desk with his favourite kris.
• Karen smiled and raised her eyebrows: Check that!
• She did not speak when he raised his eyebrows the second time, so in went onions, mustard and ketchup.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Go the extra mile

Current page

Walk a mile

Nails at low tide

Proof of the Pudding

Perceptive

The dignity of the lawyer

It is not permissible for a lawyer to have the ability to secretly subvert

a judicial event and thus effortlessly destroy the life of someone of good character

who has done no wrong.

In a justice system used for the wrong reasons,

one plays with a life of a human being or even a child

just like the Candid Camera.

It is ‘An Inconvenient Truth’.

It is a disconcerting question regarding the lawyer

Are you still human?
Is this still a society?

If a lawyer uses unlawful practices against his or her better judgment then you get an unlawful decision anyway.

Consequently, fiddling in that way is pointless.

Scamming in that way makes no sense.

In particular, it is meaningless if reality is known by each.

Badass Granny and her Guns Prank!

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To say this granny likes to stay safe at home is… a HUGE understatement. Our advise: don’t mess with her.

Go the extra mile

Current page

Walk a mile

Nails at low tide

Proof of the Pudding

Perceptive