sullen

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sul·len

(sŭl′ən)

adj. sul·len·er, sul·len·est

1. Showing a brooding ill humor or silent resentment; morose or sulky.

2. Gloomy or somber in tone, color, or portent: sullen, gray skies.

3. Sluggish; slow: the sullen current of a canal.

[Middle English solein, from Anglo-Norman solein, alone, from sol, single, from Latin sōlus, by oneself alone; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.]

sul′len·ly adv.

sul′len·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sullen

(ˈsʌlən)

adj

1. unwilling to talk or be sociable; sulky; morose

2. sombre; gloomy: a sullen day.

3. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) literary sluggish; slow: a sullen stream.

4. obsolete threatening

(plural) archaic a sullen mood

[C16: perhaps from Anglo-French solain (unattested), ultimately related to Latin sōlus alone]

ˈsullenly adv

ˈsullenness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sul•len

(ˈsʌl ən)

adj.

1. showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve.

2. persistently and silently ill-humored; morose.

3. indicative of gloomy ill humor.

4. gloomy or dismal, as weather or a sound.

5. sluggish, as a stream; slow.

6. Obs. malignant, as planets or influences.

[1565–75; probably < Anglo-French *solein, alter., after sol sole¹, of Old French soltain, soutain < Late Latin sōlitānus (see solitary, -an¹)]

sul′len•ly, adv.

sul′len•ness, n.

syn: See glum.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	sullen - showing a brooding ill humor; "a dark scowl"; "the proverbially dour New England Puritan"; "a glum, hopeless shrug"; "he sat in moody silence"; "a morose and unsociable manner"; "a saturnine, almost misanthropic young genius"- Bruce Bliven; "a sour temper"; "a sullen crowd" glowering, moody, morose, saturnine, glum, dour, dark, sour ill-natured - having an irritable and unpleasant disposition
	2.	sullen - darkened by clouds; "a heavy sky" lowering, threatening, heavy cloudy - full of or covered with clouds; "cloudy skies"

sullen

adjective morose, cross, moody, sour, gloomy, brooding, dour, surly, glowering, sulky, unsociable, out of humour The offenders lapsed into a sullen silence.
morose cheerful, cheery, good-humoured, warm, bright, pleasant, sunny, amiable, sociable, genial, chirpy (informal), good-natured, warm-hearted

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

sullen

adjective

1. Broodingly and sullenly unhappy:

dour, gloomy, glum, moody, morose, saturnine, sour, sulky, surly.

2. Characterized by or expressive of a foreboding somberness:

dark, lowery.

Translations

Spanish / Español

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sullen

[ˈsʌlən] ADJ

1. (= moody) [person, expression, voice] → hosco, huraño
the men lapsed into a sullen silence → los hombres se sumieron en un hosco silencio

2. (= leaden) [sky, landscape] → plomizo, triste

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sullen

(ˈsalən) adjective

silent and bad-tempered. a sullen young man; a sullen expression.hosco, malhumorado, huraño

ˈsullenly adverb

hoscamente, con mal humor, hurañamente

ˈsullenness noun

hosquedad, mal humor

sullen

a. malhumorado-a; resentido-a.

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References in classic literature ?

Behind them, lounging in slowly by himself, was a dark, sullen, heavy-browed man.

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While the conquered were still, sullen, and dejected, the victors triumphed.

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It seemed indeed as if the sullen and malignant eye of Front-de-B uf possessed some portion of that supposed power over his unfortunate prisoner.

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Hunt and his companions were more and more sensible how much it would be in the power of this sullen and daring vagabond Rose, to do them mischief, when they should become entangled in the defiles of the mountains, with the passes of which they were wholly unacquainted, and which were infested by his freebooting friends, the Crows.

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A slow, burning, sullen wrath was kindled in the King's heart as the three men drew near.

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John May was of a morose and surly disposition, not easily moved to anger, but having an uncommon gift of sullen, implacable hate.

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It was impossible for me to know beforehand that the children were sullen and intractable, or that the husband's mother was accustomed to make her domineering disposition felt by every one in the house.

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But as the rain came down in a flood, the little fellow was hopelessly a prisoner, and now stood with sullen aspect at a window, wondering whether the sun itself were not extinguished by so much moisture in the sky.

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Mournfully and low the man of God began his eulogy of the dead, and his doleful voice, mingled with the sobbing which it was its purpose to stimulate and sustain, rose and fell, seemed to come and go, like the sound of a sullen sea.

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He seemed a sullen, patient child; hardened, perhaps, to ill- treatment: he would stand Hindley's blows without winking or shedding a tear, and my pinches moved him only to draw in a breath and open his eyes, as if he had hurt himself by accident, and nobody was to blame.

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He did not like it, for his sullen mouth twisted into a half-snarl as he went back to his corner.

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During this speech the boy had stood by, sullen and dogged, but when his father ceased he broke out angrily.