to frown upon
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to frown upon
To strongly disapprove of something for moral or social reasons and regard it as inappropriate or taboo.
In dieser Firma ist es verpönt, während der Arbeitszeit private Anrufe zu tätigen.
In this company, making private calls during working hours is frowned upon.
'Verpönen' (to frown upon) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ver-' remains firmly attached to the verb stem in all conjugated forms and sentence positions.
Er verpönte jede Form von Unpünktlichkeit.
He frowned upon every form of unpunctuality.
This verb is very often used in the passive to describe a general social rule or taboo. The form 'Es ist verpönt, zu...' (It is frowned upon to...) is especially typical.
Früher war es verpönt, wenn Frauen Hosen trugen.
In the past, it was frowned upon for women to wear trousers.
'Verpönen' (to frown upon) belongs to an elevated or more formal style of language. It expresses strong social or moral disapproval that goes beyond simply 'not liking' something.
In vielen Kulturen ist es verpönt, mit den Fingern auf Menschen zu zeigen.
In many cultures, pointing at people with your fingers is frowned upon.
to sentence / condemn
Both words express moral or social disapproval. Verurteilen describes an explicit negative judgment about someone or something; verpönen refers more to behavior being regarded within a group as inappropriate or taboo. Use verurteilen for a specific statement of disapproval, and verpönen for a social norm.
Beleidigende Bemerkungen sind in diesem Büro verpönt.
Insulting remarks are frowned upon in this office.
Die Mitarbeiter verurteilen beleidigende Bemerkungen im Büro deutlich.
The employees clearly condemned insulting remarks in the office.
