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
The President is a sullen bore, but Servillo’s performance is always a hair less moribund than the movie around it, and held tight by the sincerity of his ambivalence.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025
Until the UFOs arrive, the sullen grandeur of OK Computer will have to suffice for Yorke, and the rest of us, too.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The Osbournes, set in the family’s L.A. home in the early aughts, deflated the patriarch’s imposing public perception, revealing a noisy life beset by his sullen teens, wife and wrangler, and everyone’s zany dogs.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 July 2025
The model, a sullen blonde with messy pageboy hair, looked vaguely sick in it.
—Mona Awad, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sullen
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025
Until the UFOs arrive, the sullen grandeur of OK Computer will have to suffice for Yorke, and the rest of us, too.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The Osbournes, set in the family’s L.A. home in the early aughts, deflated the patriarch’s imposing public perception, revealing a noisy life beset by his sullen teens, wife and wrangler, and everyone’s zany dogs.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 July 2025
The model, a sullen blonde with messy pageboy hair, looked vaguely sick in it.
—Mona Awad, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sullen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullen
Adjective
-
Nuno’s sombre facial expression did little to mask his dread over the club’s plight.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Sixty-two years after that somber swearing-in, the central figures who were on board Air Force One have passed away, among them Johnson, his wife, Lady Bird, Jackie Kennedy and Hughes.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
These are bleak times, and as fans continue to mourn the club’s decline, West Ham’s hierarchy have shifted their focus to the January transfer window.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
As with many of Burton's best films, the real magic is the nuggets of human profundity hidden within the bleak imagery and whimsical comedy.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Emery was irritable at full time.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Additionally, Owens’ youngest child, Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was confused, irritable and inconsolable in the weeks after her death, Dias shared.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Leave it to Shane Black to turn the lonely act of screenwriting into a contact sport.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
-
One of the more criminally underrated films of the genre, this Frankenstein-esque tale stars Angela Bettis as the title woman, a lonely sort whose sole friend is a doll made by her mom.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Still, Ortega’s performance proves that sulky, baleful gravity doesn’t have to lose its strange luster over time (a third season has already been announced).—
Tom Gliatto,
PEOPLE,
3 Sep. 2025
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Founder Max Siegelman drew upon his family’s harness racing roots thanks to the boarding and teaching facility for the sport involving the powerful animal, a sulky and human direction that dates to the 1800s in the US.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
There are four basic types of the disorder, which are characterized by periods of elation and hyperactivity known as manic episodes, which are then followed by depressive stages where the patient experiences feelings of sadness and depression.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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What To Know Roughly 37 percent of college students reported moderate or severe depressive symptoms, while another 33 percent had moderate or severe anxiety symptoms, the survey found.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Plaza joined the roster as police officer MG Falcone, Honey’s surly love interest.—
Luna Adler,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
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Linda hustles the two of them to a nearby motel whose only employees are a surly young goth attendant (a glowering Ivy Wolk) and a sympathetic, mildly flirty super (A$AP Rocky, laidback and breezy).—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For a darker experience in the City of Light, venture beneath Paris and explore its hundreds of miles of catacombs.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
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Patrick wore a classic dark grey suit with coordinating pants and jacket.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sullen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullen. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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