surly

adjective

sur·ly ˈsər-lē How to pronounce surly (audio)

surlier; surliest

: menacing or threatening in appearance

surly weather

obsolete : arrogant, imperious

: irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner : crabbed

surlily

ˈsər-lə-lē How to pronounce surly (audio)

adverb

surliness

ˈsər-lē-nəs How to pronounce surly (audio)

noun

surly adverb

Did you know?

In its very earliest uses in the 16th century, surly meant "majestic" or "lordly." These early meanings make sense when you know that this word is an alteration of Middle English "serreli," which probably comes from "sire, ser," a title formerly used as a form of address for men of rank or authority. So how did a word with such lofty beginnings come to be associated with grumbling rudeness? Arrogant and domineering behavior is sometimes associated with men of rank or position, and "surly" came to mean "haughty" or "imperious." These meanings (which are now obsolete) led to the "rude" sense that is very common today.

Example Sentences

went about his chores in a surly huff, totally annoyed that he was stuck at home on this beautiful Saturday the surly receptionist told us we'd have to wait outside in the rain

Recent Examples on the Web Who doesn't want to watch a huge, Brobdingnagian rocket consume millions of kilograms of fuel and break the surly bonds of Earth's gravity?

Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2022 And so Xander is packed off to Prague to embed himself in the underworld of 99's ex-Russian soldier ringleader Yorgi (Marton Csokas) and his surly girlfriend-slash-co-conspirator Yelena (Asia Argento).

Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2022 Several states away, in Aurora, Ill., Thom’s sister, Aubrey, has her own preoccupations — a surly stepson, an elderly neighbor, a nefarious ex-husband, the need to persuade the guy who used to grow weed to switch to vegetables.

New York Times, 20 July 2022 Schofield will appear as Phil, a surly, transgender manager of the NY bookstore where the main character works who is trying to become a novelist.

Wilson Chapman, Variety, 7 July 2022 Montana, The Power of the Dog details the tensions and secrets that emerge when a wealthy rancher (Jesse Plemons) brings his new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to live with his surly cowboy brother (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Marley Marius, Vogue, 4 June 2022 Wednesday afternoon, Clive slipped the surly bonds of Earth's atmosphere and experienced space for himself.

Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2022 The show chronicles the life of Beth Harmon, who loses her mother at a young age and is sent to live in an orphanage, where learning to play chess from the surly janitor in the basement is the only bright spot in her life.

The Editors, Outside Online, 7 Dec. 2020 For 24-year-old Daniele — a surly, taciturn wastrel who serves as the film’s human focal point — life is only worth living on the water, ideally at great speed.

Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Apr. 2022 See More

surly

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

pouting
irritable
sullen
sulky
pouty
mopey
glum
brooding
grumpy
irascible
petulant
morose
snappish
grouchy
dour
peevish
cross
crotchety
cantankerous
sensitive
crabby
ornery
snarky
waspish
disagreeable
testy
pettish
snippy
gloomy
short-tempered
down in the mouth
cranky
tetchy
choleric
raspy
dyspeptic
ill-tempered
bilious
quick-tempered
huffy
ill-humored
moping
temperamental
ratty
snippety
prickly
perverse
ill-natured
touchy
snappy
bearish
thin-skinned

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cheerful
sociable
cheery
perky
easygoing
sunny
carefree
good-natured
good-humored
good-tempered
gladsome
relaxed
happy-go-lucky

as in irritable

having or showing a habitually bad temper the surly receptionist told us we'd have to wait outside in the rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

irritable
angry
cantankerous
ornery
exasperated
disagreeable
dyspeptic
splenetic
ill-tempered
bilious
ill-humored
mad
acid
grumpy
indignant
irascible
ill-natured
bloody-minded
grouchy
petulant
querulous
upset
snappish
crotchety
peevish
bearish
crabby
irate
sullen
testy
depressed
uptight
short-tempered
choleric
morose
peppery
snippy
contentious
cranky
dour
cussed
quick-tempered
argumentative
touchy
fussy
glum
contrary
anal
schoolmarmish
old-maidish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

amiable
friendly
pleasant
congenial
agreeable
sweet
gentle
cheerful
kind
nice
amicable
good-natured
benign
good-humored
exuberant
cheery
good-tempered
happy
joyful
vivacious
bubbly
glad
effervescent
lively
lighthearted
calm
content
placid
serene
patient
tolerant
high-spirited
long-suffering

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of surly are crabbed, gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, and sullen. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

While in some cases nearly identical to surly, crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

The words gloomy and surly are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

The synonyms glum and surly are sometimes interchangeable, but glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

While the synonyms saturnine and surly are close in meaning, saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

The meanings of sulky and surly largely overlap; however, sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

In some situations, the words sullen and surly are roughly equivalent. However, sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

单词	surly
释义	surly adjective sur·ly ˈsər-lē surlier; surliest 1 : menacing or threatening in appearance surly weather 2 obsolete : arrogant, imperious 3 : irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner : crabbed surlily ˈsər-lə-lē adverb surliness ˈsər-lē-nəs noun surly adverb Did you know? In its very earliest uses in the 16th century, surly meant "majestic" or "lordly." These early meanings make sense when you know that this word is an alteration of Middle English "serreli," which probably comes from "sire, ser," a title formerly used as a form of address for men of rank or authority. So how did a word with such lofty beginnings come to be associated with grumbling rudeness? Arrogant and domineering behavior is sometimes associated with men of rank or position, and "surly" came to mean "haughty" or "imperious." These meanings (which are now obsolete) led to the "rude" sense that is very common today. Synonyms glum mopey pouting pouty sulky sullen See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences went about his chores in a surly huff, totally annoyed that he was stuck at home on this beautiful Saturday the surly receptionist told us we'd have to wait outside in the rain Recent Examples on the Web Who doesn't want to watch a huge, Brobdingnagian rocket consume millions of kilograms of fuel and break the surly bonds of Earth's gravity? Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2022 And so Xander is packed off to Prague to embed himself in the underworld of 99's ex-Russian soldier ringleader Yorgi (Marton Csokas) and his surly girlfriend-slash-co-conspirator Yelena (Asia Argento). Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2022 Several states away, in Aurora, Ill., Thom’s sister, Aubrey, has her own preoccupations — a surly stepson, an elderly neighbor, a nefarious ex-husband, the need to persuade the guy who used to grow weed to switch to vegetables. New York Times, 20 July 2022 Schofield will appear as Phil, a surly, transgender manager of the NY bookstore where the main character works who is trying to become a novelist. Wilson Chapman, Variety, 7 July 2022 Montana, The Power of the Dog details the tensions and secrets that emerge when a wealthy rancher (Jesse Plemons) brings his new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to live with his surly cowboy brother (Benedict Cumberbatch). Marley Marius, Vogue, 4 June 2022 Wednesday afternoon, Clive slipped the surly bonds of Earth's atmosphere and experienced space for himself. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2022 The show chronicles the life of Beth Harmon, who loses her mother at a young age and is sent to live in an orphanage, where learning to play chess from the surly janitor in the basement is the only bright spot in her life. The Editors, Outside Online, 7 Dec. 2020 For 24-year-old Daniele — a surly, taciturn wastrel who serves as the film’s human focal point — life is only worth living on the water, ideally at great speed. Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Apr. 2022 See More Word History Etymology alteration of Middle English serreli lordly, imperious, probably from sire, ser sire First Known Use 1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition surly adjective sur·ly ˈsər-lē surlier; surliest : mean and rude : unfriendly a surly neighbor surly adjective 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 Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance pouting irritable sullen sulky pouty mopey glum brooding grumpy irascible petulant morose snappish grouchy dour peevish cross crotchety cantankerous sensitive crabby ornery snarky waspish disagreeable testy pettish snippy gloomy short-tempered down in the mouth cranky tetchy choleric raspy dyspeptic ill-tempered bilious quick-tempered huffy ill-humored moping temperamental ratty snippety prickly perverse ill-natured touchy snappy bearish thin-skinned Antonyms & Near Antonyms cheerful sociable cheery perky easygoing sunny carefree good-natured good-humored good-tempered gladsome relaxed happy-go-lucky See More 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 Synonyms & Similar Words irritable angry cantankerous ornery exasperated disagreeable dyspeptic splenetic ill-tempered bilious ill-humored mad acid grumpy indignant irascible ill-natured bloody-minded grouchy petulant querulous upset snappish crotchety peevish bearish crabby irate sullen testy depressed uptight short-tempered choleric morose peppery snippy contentious cranky dour cussed quick-tempered argumentative touchy fussy glum contrary anal schoolmarmish old-maidish Antonyms & Near Antonyms amiable friendly pleasant congenial agreeable sweet gentle cheerful kind nice amicable good-natured benign good-humored exuberant cheery good-tempered happy joyful vivacious bubbly glad effervescent lively lighthearted calm content placid serene patient tolerant high-spirited long-suffering See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of surly are crabbed, gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, and sullen. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner. a typical surly teenager While in some cases nearly identical to surly, crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner. the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster The words gloomy and surly are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness. a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news The synonyms glum and surly are sometimes interchangeable, but glum suggests a silent dispiritedness. a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy. morose job seekers who are inured to rejection While the synonyms saturnine and surly are close in meaning, saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition. a saturnine cynic always finding fault The meanings of sulky and surly largely overlap; however, sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness. grew sulky after every spat In some situations, the words sullen and surly are roughly equivalent. However, sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable. remained sullen amid the festivities
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surly

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser