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
Until the UFOs arrive, the sullen grandeur of OK Computer will have to suffice for Yorke, and the rest of us, too.
—
Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The Osbournes, set in the family’s L.A. home in the early aughts, deflated the patriarch’s imposing public perception, revealing a noisy life beset by his sullen teens, wife and wrangler, and everyone’s zany dogs.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 July 2025
The model, a sullen blonde with messy pageboy hair, looked vaguely sick in it.
—Mona Awad, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
The reflection of my withered face, with deep sullen eyes, blurs behind raindrops sliding down the glass.
—Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The Osbournes, set in the family’s L.A. home in the early aughts, deflated the patriarch’s imposing public perception, revealing a noisy life beset by his sullen teens, wife and wrangler, and everyone’s zany dogs.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 July 2025
The model, a sullen blonde with messy pageboy hair, looked vaguely sick in it.
—Mona Awad, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
The reflection of my withered face, with deep sullen eyes, blurs behind raindrops sliding down the glass.
—Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullen
Adjective
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According to the tabloid site, the couple seemed more somber and tense than usual.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
27 Sep. 2025
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The mood on the ice and in the dressing room was somber Thursday when Barkov crumbled to the ice following a noncontact drill and had to be helped off the ice by two team staff members.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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While there is still a chance that Sanders and Colorado can turn things around, the rest of the season is looking bleak.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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From a bleak job hunt upon her arrival in 2016 to undergoing treatment for her second bout with breast cancer during the uncertainty and fear of COVID, Davis recalls her journey through raw vulnerability and splashes of humor.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, such symptoms are hard to attribute to vaccines because infants can be irritable or fussy regardless of vaccination.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
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When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the play, Farrow played Sharon, a lonely Iowa woman – estranged from her adult son, divorced from her husband – who decides to take a boarder into her large farmhouse.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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But on the flip side, the one tally in the win column remains lonely as the team heads into its Week 5 matchup against the Jets in New York.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Still, Ortega’s performance proves that sulky, baleful gravity doesn’t have to lose its strange luster over time (a third season has already been announced).—
Tom Gliatto,
PEOPLE,
3 Sep. 2025
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Founder Max Siegelman drew upon his family’s harness racing roots thanks to the boarding and teaching facility for the sport involving the powerful animal, a sulky and human direction that dates to the 1800s in the US.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In the paper, the authors said that education, prevention strategies and policies aiming to reduce soft drink consumption are urgently required to mitigate depressive symptoms.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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The next seven months are a gray, depressive blur.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the solo debut for the writer-director Shih-Ching Tsou, a mother and her two daughters—one a surly teenager, the other a curious child—build a home in Taipei.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
20 Sep. 2025
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In the span of a few months rehabbing in Los Angeles in 2023, an oft-surly 40-year-old quarterback became pals with a 25-year-old goofball of a running back.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Attendees can also expect kid-friendly activities, including hair braiding, glow-in-the-dark face painting, accessory booths, photo booths, and giant inflatable mascots on the dance floor.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
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Atop her dress, Carey opted for a long-sleeve dark leather jacket with a cropped design and edgy zipper closure.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sullen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullen. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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