Eyebrow body language

Techniques > Use of body language > Parts-of-the-body language > Eyebrow body language

Eyebrows can send body language. Being near the eyes, which are the major senders of signals, they are highly visible communicators, although the limited control of muscles around them can limit what they say.

Lowered

Lowering the eyebrows conceals the eyes to a certain degree. Particularly with a lowered head, this can thus indicate deception or a desire that eye signals are harder to see.

Lowered eyebrows may also indicate annoyance, perhaps effectively saying 'I am so displeased, I do not want to look at you.' Related to this, lowered eyebrows are a sign of a dominant person.

Raised

When a person is surprised, their eyebrows are often raised. This typically happens as a part of opening the eyes wider, perhaps to see more clearly what is going on. The more the surprise. the higher the eyebrows are raised.

Raising the eyebrows can also signal a question. When as question is asked and the eyebrows raised afterwards, this is a clear invitation to answer the question.

Opposite to the dominant lowering of eyebrows, raising eyebrows is may be a submissive move or indicate openness, as it lets the other person see your eyes ('I am not looking where I should not!').

Raising a single eyebrow is something that only some people can do and can be a bit more wry in its meaning, for example asking 'Are you sure?' when the other person appears to be talking with limited accuracy.

Middle-raised

By pushing together the eyebrows and pulling up the forehead, the eyebrows can be made to slope outwards. This can indicate relief ('Whew!'). It can also indicate anxiety ('Oh no!').

Middle-lowered

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.

Oscillating

When we see people we know, we often give a quick up-down flash of the eyebrows in recognition and greeting. This is a common signal across all primates, including monkeys and gorillas.