Synonym Chooser

How is the word morose different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of morose are crabbed, gloomy, glum, saturnine, sulky, sullen, and surly. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

When can crabbed be used instead of morose?

The synonyms crabbed and morose are sometimes interchangeable, but crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

When is gloomy a more appropriate choice than morose?

The meanings of gloomy and morose largely overlap; however, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

In what contexts can glum take the place of morose?

The words glum and morose are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

Where would saturnine be a reasonable alternative to morose?

Although the words saturnine and morose have much in common, saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

When is it sensible to use sulky instead of morose?

While the synonyms sulky and morose are close in meaning, sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

When could sullen be used to replace morose?

The words sullen and morose can be used in similar contexts, but sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

When might surly be a better fit than morose?

While in some cases nearly identical to morose, surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of morose But none of it would have landed had Gad, Lee, and the rest of the Frozen 2 creative team stuck with the morose original cut. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2025 And, unrehearsed, Rogers sang the morose song of past love and played the piano, a real treat for fans who've been following her for the past decade. Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 13 Oct. 2024 Labuschagne cut a rather morose figure in the first Bazball- inspired Ashes encounter in June last year. Tim Ellis, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024 That said, this encounter between a morose Jamie and his sister’s housemaid, Mary McNab, is a meaningful one and bears including. Amy Wilkinson, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for morose 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for morose
Adjective
  • After running a somber ad in the 2024 Super Bowl aimed at fighting hate and bigotry, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism tapped Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady in a spot that had the celebrities squaring off against one another, ticking off reasons why people don’t like one another.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
  • The mood within Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, where the awards took place, was relatively somber with each win for the Netflix musical.
    Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • But bleak and uncertain as things seem right now, Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred does not want to lose Tampa Bay, the No. 11 media market, which is why the hope is for a deep pocket owner (or owners) from Tampa to emerge and the Tampa stadium plan near Ybor City can be revived.
    Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Suicide is pretty bleak for a Super Bowl spot, and mental health, in general, is a sensitive topic.
    Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Carotenoids may offer some protection against depressive symptoms, but the study's authors caution that a causal relationship (when one variable causes the other to change) was not established.
    Jennifer Lefton, MS, RD/N, CNSC, FAND, Verywell Health, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Screening for depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts should be part of routine care for people with headaches.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Green made do with a slightly depressing cafeteria lunch—a cheese-and-pickle sandwich and a shiny red apple—and some chitchat about the weather.
    Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
  • Beyond that, the shadow of Teresa’s legal woes hung over the season, making for a depressing watch.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • But for people who are older and severely lonely, having an appointment to see their doctor might be their only social interaction that day.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
  • In a recent Harvard University study, every fifth American reported feeling lonely, and that number is even higher among young adults and seniors.
    John Hewko, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The show’s recently released second and, sadly, final season raises the stakes of his misadventures, taking darker turns but abandoning neither the absurd humor nor the glimpses of beauty that add dimensions to Amer’s quintessentially American, Palestinian-refugee story.
    Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
  • Not too light nor too dark, the coppery color is warm yet bright, with few highlights.
    Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Although Mars is known for being a dry and desolate desert, its landscape hasn’t always been so hostile.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
  • At first glance, the entire landscape looked grim and desolate.
    M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Get the Recipe Funeral Sandwiches Despite the morbid name, these snack sandwiches are a staple at more occasions than just Southern funerals.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2025
  • Comments Released in 2022, The Menu is a satirical thriller about the fine dining scene that ends on a deeply morbid (and decidedly non-appetizing) note.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near morose

Cite this Entry

“Morose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/morose. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.

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