contemptuous coy frown lurch sob

contemptuous

con·temp·tu·ous /kənˈtemptʃuəs/ adjective

showing that you think someone or something deservers no respect

• a contemptuous glance

• contemptuous of

  • He was openly contemptuous of his father.

• contemptuously adverb

coy

coy /kɔɪ/ adjective

1. shy or pretending to be shy in order to attract people's interest
   1. She gave him a coy smile
2. unwilling to give information about something
   1. coy about
      1. Tania was always coy about her age

• coyly adverb
• coyness noun [uncountable]

frown

frown1 /fraʊn/ verb [intransitive]

to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression, moving your EYEBROWS together

• She frowned as she read the letter

• frown at

  • Mattie frowned at him disapprovingly

• frown on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb

  • to disapprove of someone or something, especially someone's behaviour
    • Even though divorce is legal, it is still frowned upon

lurch

lurch1 /lɜːtʃ $ lɜːrtʃ/ verb [intransitive]

1. to walk or move suddenly in an uncontrolled or unsteady way
   1. lurch forward/to/towards/into etc
      1. Sam hit the gas and the car lurched forward
      2. he lurched to his feet
2. your heart/stomach lurches used to say that your heart or stomach seems to move suddenly because you feel shocked, frightened etc:
   1. Virginia's heart lurched painfully in her chest.
3. lurch from one crisis/extreme etc to another (also lurch from crisis to crisis) to seem to have no plan and no control over what you are doing:
   1. The industry lurches from crisis to crisis.

sob

sob /sɒb $ sɑːb/ verb (past tense and past participle sobbed, present participle sobbing)

1. [intransitive] to cry noisily while breathing in short sudden bursts
   1. He began sobbing uncontrollably
2. [transitive] (also sob out) to say something when you are sobbing
   1. 'It's too late', she sobbed.

• sob noun [countable]
  • loud sobs

Reference

• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English