What is the word for "to furrow" in terms of eyebrows?

Question

Trying to say "her eyebrows furrowed" but cannot find the right expression. I recall there being a similar expression (which warranted a different English translation), but can't remember what it was...

Answer 1

To add to 「[眉]{まゆ}をしかめる」「眉をひそめる」 given in the other answer, I think you could also use...

[眉間]{みけん}にしわを[寄]{よ}せる

Answer 2

The closest expression is probably:

眉{まゆ}を寄せる{よせる}

不快の念などから眉の寄ったような表情をすること。「眉根を寄せる」「眉をしかめる」「眉を顰める」「眉をひそめる」などとも表現する。

For example:

彼女は眉を寄せた。

Passive voice seems not to be very common though, unlike in English.

Answer 3

To add to the other answers, way back in some early 20th century novel (I don't remember exactly which one) I saw another expression. So if you want to go a bit more indirect and literary you could say

[八]{はち}の[字]{じ}を[寄]{よ}せる

眉 (まゆ) を八の字にして眉間 (みけん) にしわを寄せる。顔をしかめる。「―・せて考え込む」 (source)

This is meant figuratively that you arrange your brows in a way that looks like the sign for eight (八). If you want to make the opposite you could also say

[逆]{ぎゃく}[八]{はち}の[字]{じ}を[寄]{よ}せる

If somebody could clear me up whether its ぎゃくはち or さかはち, I'd be grateful.

Edit: As pointed out in the comments, the 逆 is in relation to 八の字 as a complete expression and thus read as ぎゃく and not as さか.

As is stated in the answer to this question here. I presume the answering person is a native speaker, but I personally have never seen that expression in novels.

Answer 4

I suspect the word you're looking for is 'to frown', 悩む