sullen

adjective

ˈsə-lən How to pronounce sullen (audio)
Definition of sullennext
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

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of sullen are crabbed, gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, and surly. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

In what contexts can crabbed take the place of sullen?

While the synonyms crabbed and sullen are close in meaning, crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

When would gloomy be a good substitute for sullen?

Although the words gloomy and sullen have much in common, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

When could glum be used to replace sullen?

In some situations, the words glum and sullen are roughly equivalent. However, glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

How do morose and glum relate to one another, in the sense of sullen?

Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

When might saturnine be a better fit than sullen?

The meanings of saturnine and sullen largely overlap; however, 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 sullen?

The synonyms sulky and sullen are sometimes interchangeable, but sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

When can surly be used instead of sullen?

While in some cases nearly identical to sullen, 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 sullen Then Chloe pointed out her boyfriend across the room ... revealing none other than a sullen Greg eating at their table, alone. — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2025 The mood in the room was somber and sullen following a 144-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. — Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 2 Feb. 2025 The New Daughter has an interesting, sullen mood and looks fantastic, but that just further accentuates how out of place Costner seems. — Will Leitch, Vulture, 1 July 2024 One of the migrants looks at the camera with sullen eyes and a rugged beard. — Kunal Sehgal, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sullen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullen
  1. somber
  2. bleak
  3. irritable
  4. lonely
  5. sulky
  6. depressive
  7. surly
  8. dark
Adjective
  • Among the greater Eilish team, the sentiment is that of a somber parting, but there remains great respect and appreciation for the tremendous successes, milestones and memories shared with Rukasin and Goodman.
    — Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The Opening Day festivities in the Bronx took on a somber tone Thursday as the Yankees honored the late son of former outfielder Brett Gardner.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • The coming-of-age story finds a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Stocks had sold off sharply last Friday, amid growing uncertainty on U.S. trade policy and a bleak inflation outlook.
    — Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Strong winds also may have North Texans feeling more irritable, which scientists blame on there being too many positive ions in the air.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Signs of overextension burnout include feeling emotionally drained, becoming irritable and struggling to focus—all of which can affect both your work and personal life.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • The results were conclusive: More than two-thirds (69%) of seniors felt lonely a majority of the time (50% of the time or more) before moving into a senior living community.
    — Sara Zeff Geber, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Being lonely is terrible for a person’s mental health.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of sulky
Adjective
  • Mindfulness mediates the association between chronotype and depressive symptoms in young adults.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
  • There are four basic types of the disorder, which are characterized by periods of elation and hyper-activity known as manic episodes, which are then followed by depressive stages where the patient experiences feelings of sadness and depression.
    — Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of depressive
Adjective
  • The Sum of a Career in Spaceflight Schirra had announced his plans to retire from NASA before the Apollo 7 flight, and a successful (if surly) mission, topped off with an Emmy Award and a Deep Draft Command certificate, wasn’t a bad way to wrap up a nine-year career at the agency.
    — Kiona N. Smith, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The Pacific Northwest, which has played host to a series of surly atmospheric rivers and a bomb cyclone in recent days, should finally quiet down, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys told USA TODAY on Sunday as that national weather picture for the holiday grew sharper.
    — John Bacon, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2024
Definition of surly
Adjective
  • The Page Turner sees the Page family consumed by the literary world — each in their own way — as its dark, foundational secret runs the risk of exposure.
    — Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • While the app only went dark for a matter of a day or so in the U.S., it was removed from the Apple and Google app stores for weeks, because federal law could have seen Apple or Google penalized for distributing it.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of dark

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sulky
sullen
sullenly
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Cite this Entry

“Sullen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullen. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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