sullen

C2+ Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /ˈsʌlən/ UK /ˈsʌlən/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
badtempered and sulky; gloomy in mood or appearance

The boy sat in sullen silence through the entire meal.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · badtempered and sulky;... morose sulky glum surly moody brooding dour

Opposites

cheerful amiable sunny genial

Word family

Forms sullenness

Derived forms sullenlysullenness

Related forms sole solitary

Etymology

From Middle English solein ('solitary, sole, averse to company'), from Anglo-Norman *solein, from Vulgar Latin *sōlānus, from Latin sōlus ('alone'); the sense shifted from 'solitary' to 'gloomy'.

*solein Old French sōlus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings Word Formation & Derivatives

# sullen

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈsʌlən
**IPA (UK):** ˈsʌlən

## Meanings
1. badtempered and sulky; gloomy in mood or appearance

## Examples
- The boy sat in sullen silence through the entire meal.

## Synonyms
- morose
- sulky
- glum
- surly
- moody
- brooding
- dour

## Antonyms
- cheerful
- amiable
- sunny
- genial

## Derived Forms
- sullenly
- sullenness

## Related Forms
- sole
- solitary

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *solein
- Root: sōlus

## Etymology
From Middle English solein ('solitary, sole, averse to company'), from Anglo-Norman *solein, from Vulgar Latin *sōlānus, from Latin sōlus ('alone'); the sense shifted from 'solitary' to 'gloomy'.

## AI Etymology
Sullen comes from Middle English solein ('solitary, sole, averse to company'), from Anglo-Norman *solein, from Vulgar Latin *sōlānus, from Latin sōlus ('alone'); the sense shifted from 'solitary' to 'gloomy'. The historical trail runs through Old French *solein and Latin sōlus. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means badtempered and sulky; gloomy in mood or appearance. Derived formations include sullenly, sullenness; related forms include sole, solitary.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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sullen

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