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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sullen
One of the migrants looks at the camera with sullen eyes and a rugged beard.
—
Kunal Sehgal, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
In that, Democrats mindful of their own fortunes are suddenly less sullen about the slog toward November’s Election Day.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 19 July 2024
Through this ceremony of affirmation, a divided party sought to turn the page and reassert control over a sullen society.
—Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2019
Upon arriving at Angels camp last week, the perpetually sullen Rendon told reporters that baseball has never been his top priority — his faith and his family are — and that baseball is just a job to make a living.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Kunal Sehgal, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
In that, Democrats mindful of their own fortunes are suddenly less sullen about the slog toward November’s Election Day.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 19 July 2024
Through this ceremony of affirmation, a divided party sought to turn the page and reassert control over a sullen society.
—Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2019
Upon arriving at Angels camp last week, the perpetually sullen Rendon told reporters that baseball has never been his top priority — his faith and his family are — and that baseball is just a job to make a living.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullen
Adjective
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Party leaders asked their members ahead of the address to maintain a dignified and somber presence in the chamber during Trump's speech.—
Barbara Sprunt,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2025
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The mix of Black trauma and White philanthropy created a peculiar vibe in the event space, at once somber and thrilling, mournful and hopeful.—
Nicholas Lalla,
WIRED,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Even the relatively staid premiere stole a handful of grim chuckles thanks to its guest star’s exceedingly blasé delivery of impossibly bleak news.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Mar. 2025
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Yet if Mickey’s life is suffocatingly bleak, Mickey 17 is anything but.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Cold exposure is particularly helpful for those who have irritable skin through the constriction of blood vessels, alleviating swelling and flushes.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
-
The elderly single mom, played with an irritable, bone-deep bitterness by Irish actor Fiona Shaw, has spent the past few years paralyzed by an illness no one can diagnose.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Another remembers her lonely childhood with a single mother and resolved it with a partner from a large family and three children.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
5 Mar. 2025
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This distinction is important: your parent might live alone without feeling isolated, or conversely, feel lonely despite being surrounded by people.—
Carolyn Rosenblatt,
Forbes,
4 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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Researchers were surprised that the decrease in depressive symptoms was on par or even more significant than the reductions documented in studies of people taking antidepressant medications.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
25 Feb. 2025
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Tragically, they are killed by their mother, who drowns them in a manic depressive episode while their father is away on business.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Greg and Tanya show up in Season 2, after the surly Greg insisted on a Sicilian trip.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But doctors have begun to suspect that this year's flu season—the most severe in over 15 years—has taken a yet darker turn for children.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Feb. 2025
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Master of maturation Andrea Wilson adds her own tasting notes, describing baking spice, dark fruit, toffee, fragrant citrus, and floral notes on the palate, followed by a round, complex finish.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sullen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullen. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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