Synonyms for sullen
- adjective
- noun
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Morose — gloomy; dismal; foreboding
morose, moody, glum, dour, dark, gloomy, grim, surly, mopey, melancholy, dejected, gruff, lugubrious, forlorn, mournful, sour, cheerless, dismal, somber US, sombre UK, depressed, crestfallen, dreary
2. Peevish — obstinate; intractable
truculent, grumpy, petulant, grouchy, fretful, ill-tempered, obstinate, dogged, headstrong, stubborn, pig-headed, recalcitrant, hard-headed, churlish, wayward, self-willed, ill-humored, willful US, wilful UK, cross, inflexible, tenacious, persistent
4. Slow-moving — sluggish; slow
Other
brooding, ill-natured, lowering, ugly, foreboding, malevolent, ominous, heavy, malign, threatening, malicious
Noun
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Having a brooding ill temper; sulky.
- adj. 2
Gloomy; dismal; foreboding.
- n. 1
One who is solitary, or lives alone; a hermit.
- n. 2
Sullen feelings or manners; sulks; moroseness.
Related words
- Word family
- sullenly sullenness
- Is a kind of
- sad
Forms
- Plural
- sullens → mopes, loners, shut-ins, sulkings…
Choose the right word
The sullen and sulky are discontented and resentful in regard to that against which they are too proud to protest, or consider all protest vain; sullen denotes more of pride, sulky more of resentful obstinacy. The sullen and sulky are for the most part silent; the morose growl out bitter speeches.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- surly The food was horrible, and the waiter, surly.
- dour Tom's dour silence said more than any words could.
- glum Don't be so glum about it. Life has its ups and downs.
- ugly Between you and me, the fat ugly man is on a diet.
- brooding You are not brooding and existing in your own head.
By length
- 4 letters
- dark1, ugly2, sour2, grim1, glum1, dour2, mope1
- 5 letters
- cross1, heavy2, moody2, loner2, surly2, gruff1, pouty2, sulky, mopey
- 6 letters
- grumpy2, gloomy2, dismal2, dreary2, somber2, dogged1, sombre, wilful, malign2, morose2, leaden2, broody2, glumps
- 7 letters
- ominous3, wayward2, willful2, stately2, forlorn2, grouchy2, sulking2, fretful2
- 8 letters
- stubborn2, lowering3, brooding2, dejected3, mournful2, petulant3, churlish2, glouting
- 9 letters
- depressed2, malicious3, tenacious3, obstinate3, ponderous3, truculent3, cheerless
- 10 letters
- persistent3, melancholy4, inflexible4, malevolent4, foreboding3, headstrong2, lugubrious4
- 11 letters
- threatening3, crestfallen3
- 12 letters
- recalcitrant4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (ugly2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- renfrogné