1
as in pouting
given to or displaying a resentful silence and often irritability
went about his chores in a surly huff, totally annoyed that he was stuck at home on this beautiful Saturday
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
the surly receptionist told us we'd have to wait outside in the rain
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surly
The 44-year-old appeared to save his most surly moments in front of the media for when Leicester were doing well.
—
Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
My stepfather inherited a surly, punkish teen dude.
—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
That criticism, along with other struggles, has seemingly influenced Davis to be in a surly and unpredictable mood over the past two months.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Nero is a cynical and surly assassin who is betrayed by his master and long-term ally.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for surly
Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
My stepfather inherited a surly, punkish teen dude.
—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
That criticism, along with other struggles, has seemingly influenced Davis to be in a surly and unpredictable mood over the past two months.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Nero is a cynical and surly assassin who is betrayed by his master and long-term ally.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for surly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surly
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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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
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My partner came home from work to find a sullen child whimpering in his room.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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People who were paying close attention to certain corners of the internet saw this reality coming more than a decade ago in Gamergate, in which an angry online mob waged a virulent harassment campaign against women and diversity in the video game industry.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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Republican members meet angry crowds The vast majority of Republican lawmakers have cheered on the changes to the federal government spearheaded by Trump's advisor, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 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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In his new biography of Barnes, Blake Gopnik foregrounds this democratic ethos, focusing specifically on the philanthropist’s contributions to building racial equality—despite Barnes’s notoriously cantankerous personality and his tendency toward invective and slur.—
Kelly Presutti,
ARTnews.com,
12 Mar. 2025
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Hackman's criminal mastermind was wily, vain, cantankerous, and a bit too sure of himself.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Their brows are furrowed, their mouths are pouty, their faces are twisted into ever-more over-the-top expressions of longing and ambivalence.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2025
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Nico no longer viewed Luka as a gift, but an enabled, pouty headcase who takes his talent for granted, won’t change, and will pay for it sooner rather than later.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The offensive line, in Monken’s estimation, is the most talented and possibly most ornery unit he’s had at West Point, all the way down to wrestling each other to settle arguments about who’s tougher.—
Brian Hamilton,
The Athletic,
21 Nov. 2024
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They’re led by John Dutton III, an ornery character who nevertheless carries the kind of gravitas that only a veteran movie star like Kevin Costner can bring.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The United States’s three most powerful European allies disagree with its plan for ending the brutal, destructive stalemate in Ukraine, with Germany the most disagreeable.—
Dominic Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
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Sometimes that means confronting disagreeable people.—
David Plazas,
The Tennessean,
24 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Surly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surly. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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