1
: having a sullen and gloomy disposition
2
: marked by or expressive of gloom
Examples of morose in a Sentence
She thought of the bootlegger at home—a raddled, skinny old man, morose and suspicious. He sat on his front step with a shotgun on Halloween night.
—
Alice Munro, Runaway, 2004
We have little finished footage to go by, but enough to give us pause: an exquisite clip of Rochefort, sitting with a book in the half-darkness, his eyes wet, gleaming, and morose.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2003
I have never known if Momma sent for us, or if the St. Louis family just got fed up with my grim presence. There is nothing more appalling than a constantly morose child.
—Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
He became morose and withdrawn and would not talk to anyone.
those morose job seekers who have grown accustomed to rejection
Alice Munro, Runaway, 2004
We have little finished footage to go by, but enough to give us pause: an exquisite clip of Rochefort, sitting with a book in the half-darkness, his eyes wet, gleaming, and morose.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2003
I have never known if Momma sent for us, or if the St. Louis family just got fed up with my grim presence. There is nothing more appalling than a constantly morose child.
—Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
He became morose and withdrawn and would not talk to anyone.
those morose job seekers who have grown accustomed to rejection
Recent Examples on the Web
Based on the memoir of a real doctor, the stories and tribulations feel achingly real, and Whishaw's sly smile and tongue-in-cheek delivery keeps the depressing stories from becoming too morose.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 May 2025
One of the season’s main stories has focused on Rick (played by Walton Goggins), a morose middle-aged man vacationing with his earnest, wide-eyed girlfriend, Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood).
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Russian audiences don’t want an exclusive diet of heavy, morose, emotionally draining art on themes of war and sacrifice.
—Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The extent to which Matthew overtakes the story can be jarring, as that process is diffused across several amusing but increasingly morose asides.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for morose
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 May 2025
One of the season’s main stories has focused on Rick (played by Walton Goggins), a morose middle-aged man vacationing with his earnest, wide-eyed girlfriend, Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood).
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Russian audiences don’t want an exclusive diet of heavy, morose, emotionally draining art on themes of war and sacrifice.
—Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The extent to which Matthew overtakes the story can be jarring, as that process is diffused across several amusing but increasingly morose asides.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for morose
Cite this Entry
“Morose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morose. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share