Definition of sullen
sullenly
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of sullen in a Sentence
Economy got you down? Provocateur Ehrenreich … says: Don't try cheering yourself up. … Her sharp, funny critique finds that sunny types don't necessarily live longer or better than grumps. Besides, can you really get rid of all negativity in your life? “It is not so easy,” she notes, “to abandon the whiny toddler or the sullen teenager.” —Richard Eisenberg, People, 26 Oct. 2009
The skies grew sullen and the air chillier, but it wasn't until the third day that the snow came. —Bill Bryson A Walk In The Woods, 1999
Despite angry alumni calls and sullen students protests—including the cancellation of all fraternity parties at the school's annual Winter Carnival—the faculty unanimously voted in favor of the college's goal to make fraternities and sororities substantially coed, along with developing new social alternatives for its 4,300 undergraduates. —Anita Hamilton, Time, 1 Mar. 1999
sullen skies that matched our mood on the day of the funeral
sullen and bored at his in-laws' house, he couldn't wait for the holidays to end
Recent Examples of sullen from the Web
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Recent ultrasound scans have shown her ligament healing, but Halep was visibly sullen on Friday.
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Hither came Conan the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sullen'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of sullen
Middle English solein solitary, from Anglo-French sulein, solain, perhaps from sol, soul single, sole + -ain after Old French soltain solitary, private, from Late Latin solitaneus, ultimately from Latin solus alone
First Known Use: 14th century
Synonym Discussion of sullen
SULLEN Defined for English Language Learners
sullen
playDefinition of sullen for English Language Learners
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—used to describe an angry or unhappy person who does not want to talk, smile, etc.
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: gray and dark
SULLEN Defined for Kids
Learn More about sullen
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See words that rhyme with sullen Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sullen Spanish Central: Translation of sullen Nglish: Translation of sullen for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sullen for Arabic speakers
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