1
as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
sullen skies that matched our mood on the day of the funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pouting
given to or displaying a resentful silence and often irritability
sullen and bored at his in-laws' house, he couldn't wait for the holidays to end
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sullen
Ramsey is reprising their role as Ellie, the sullen American teenager who is immune to the cordyceps fungus turning everyone else into zombies and who may, therefore, hold the key to humanity’s rescue.
—
Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
The collection of slab-like columns by Derek McLane, lit in sickly, sullen colors by Natasha Katz, could be anywhere.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
My partner came home from work to find a sullen child whimpering in his room.
—Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2025
In the film, Adèle Haenel plays Héloïse, a sullen 18th-century French daughter of privilege, and Noémie Merlant plays Marianne, the adventurous artist hired to paint her.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
The collection of slab-like columns by Derek McLane, lit in sickly, sullen colors by Natasha Katz, could be anywhere.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
My partner came home from work to find a sullen child whimpering in his room.
—Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2025
In the film, Adèle Haenel plays Héloïse, a sullen 18th-century French daughter of privilege, and Noémie Merlant plays Marianne, the adventurous artist hired to paint her.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullen
Adjective
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Rayburn partners up with local sheriff Alice Gustafson (Annabelle Wallis) in a somber yet tumultuous pursuit of a killer who uses brutal traps and primal tactics.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
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That’s the question writer-director Ari Aster’s somber comedy-Western Eddington, playing in competition here at the Cannes Film Festival, appears to be asking.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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The latest Email Threat Trends Report from VIPRE paints a bleak picture.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Related article Putin just called Trump’s bluff on Ukraine, with the Russian art of the ‘no’ deal Ukraine in 2025 is a bleak prospect.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The crew is under the supervision of the capable Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) who is prone to panic attacks as the group visits an irritable planet at the behest of The Corporation — a powerful business conglomerate where profit is indeed king.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
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It’s said to cause people to become irritable, aggravate health problems, and abrade mechanical devices.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Health officials have said the United States is facing a mental health crisis, and in 2023, nearly 1 in 4 adults around the world reported feeling fairly or very lonely.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
17 May 2025
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Similarly, a cat was sent to a shelter after 10 years in a home after his owner passed away, leaving him lonely and searching for a new home.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Playing Dawn Summers, Trachtenberg joined the show in 2000, as Buffy's younger sister, who was at times bratty, sulky, and a bit of a klutz — but nonetheless offered a new and exciting sibling dynamic for the show to explore.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
26 Feb. 2025
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Horse race At the harness racing week on the Freehold Raceway in New Jersey: a reverse race with the sulky fixed in front of the horse - 1930.—
Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The investigation specifically focused on 1,422 fathers who were screened for depressive symptoms when their children were five years old, Schmitz told Newsweek.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
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For every past depressive episode, the likelihood of having another one goes up.—
Carolyn L. Todd,
SELF,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Now, Stefani realizes that her own family members — including her surly teen brother, Charlie (Teo Briones), and her cousins Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) — are next in line.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
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Requests are taken for the next amendment, and a surly, very cool Matt (Goggins) has a one-word answer: guns.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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His dark worldview is premised on the pessimistic presumption that the world will turn on the Jews if given the chance, which is why the Israeli leader has long prized hard power over diplomatic understandings.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
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The videos look just like the photos, with unnatural colors and visible noise, especially in dark environments.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sullen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullen. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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