Definition of sullen
sullenly
adverbIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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
-
Dane DeHaan plays Valerian, a sullen law enforcement major assigned to keep peace in the human districts of the space heap known as Alpha.
-
He was surrounded by a group of sour, sullen characters; manager John McNamara, who occasionally got caught dozing in the dugout, was very nearly paranoid by season’s end, and this was a team that had won a pennant.
-
Trump, at the time, was developing a sullen moxie that rivaled Cohn’s.
-
Trump, at the time, was developing a sullen moxie that rivaled Cohn’s.
-
But sullen resentment of mainland China has spread as Hong Kong’s democratic evolution has stalled.
-
But Holland is also an endearing Peter Parker, which Garfield's sullen take on the character similarly had a tough time grasping.
-
Trump, at the time, was developing a sullen moxie that rivaled Cohn’s.
-
Inside the sullen U of L clubhouse, players sat in tight circles playing cards.
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
Synonym Discussion of sullen
SULLEN Defined for English Language Learners
sullen
playDefinition of sullen for English Language Learners
-
—used to describe an angry or unhappy person who does not want to talk, smile, etc.
-
: gray and dark
SULLEN Defined for Kids
Learn More about sullen
-
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
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up sullen? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!