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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pouts
a state of resentful silence or irritability
her mother-in-law managed to dispel her sullenness with a gals-only shopping spree
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sullen
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
But sheer athleticism won’t turn him into a celebrity, and his demeanor doesn’t endear him to people—Majors plays Maddox as a sullen and tightly wound outcast whose environment shapes his isolation.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
The four-run outing snapped a stretch of nine consecutive scoreless outings for the rookie, who was consoled by each member of this veteran bullpen in the cramped, sullen visiting clubhouse in Chicago.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Adjective
For the Canucks, however, and for their fans, there’s no time to be sullen about Tocchet’s decision.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
But sheer athleticism won’t turn him into a celebrity, and his demeanor doesn’t endear him to people—Majors plays Maddox as a sullen and tightly wound outcast whose environment shapes his isolation.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
The four-run outing snapped a stretch of nine consecutive scoreless outings for the rookie, who was consoled by each member of this veteran bullpen in the cramped, sullen visiting clubhouse in Chicago.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullen
Adjective
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The somber financial picture leaves the city caught between cutting services to the public and finding a way to raise money.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
5 June 2025
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The incident caused a somber scene near home plate, as Yankees teammates, coaches and personnel huddled around the always-affable 26-year-old before an ambulance took him off the field and to a nearby hospital.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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At the same time, others who attended this year’s California Democratic Party Convention dismissed any notion that the future of the Democratic Party is bleak.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
31 May 2025
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The early options on the GOP side are bleak: Neither Donalds nor Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife who’s said to be interested in succeeding him, is the moderate Florida so desperately needs now.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Cass fulfills his obligations in a particularly irritable way.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
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One person’s fatigue is another’s back pain, is another’s migraine or irritable bowel, or long Covid, and so on.—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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How wildfire smoke can endanger your health Inhaling smoke can result in a variety of ailments, from minor irritability to more serious problems like respiratory and cardiovascular disorders.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
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Hunger and fatigue can often amplify irritability for many, making patience even harder to maintain.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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As found in the survey, adults who experience daily loneliness are nearly five times more likely to rate their current life poorly compared to those who aren’t lonely.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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Skeletal branches created a cathedral over the lonely vehicle where the 64-year-old man had breathed his last, the winter-gray river placid in the background behind a ramble of fences.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 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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Men with moderate or severe depressive symptoms were 62% times more likely to use intimate partner violence by 2022 compared to those who had not had these symptoms, while men with suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts were 47% times as likely, the study found.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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Additionally, those with restrictive calorie diets reported higher numbers of depressive symptoms, including low mood, low energy and sleep disturbances.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Commerce City police helped return a surly rattlesnake to the wild this month after a resident found the venomous reptile coiled in their home’s driveway.—
Max Levy,
Denver Post,
31 May 2025
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The third reason to slip the surly bonds of Earth is that our air is extremely good at shielding us from many wavelengths of light our eyes cannot see.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sullen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullen. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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