broody
Americanadjective
-
moody; gloomy.
-
inclined to sit on eggs.
a broody hen.
adjective
-
moody; meditative; introspective
-
(of poultry) wishing to sit on or hatch eggs
-
informal (of a woman) wishing to have a baby of her own
Usage
What does broody mean? Broody is an adjective that means moody or gloomy, as in When I’m feeling broody, I paint dark pictures to match my mood. Broody is a neutral word. It describes a person’s emotions or personality. Sometimes, a fictional character who is broody is actually considered attractive or interesting. For example, Batman is a famously broody superhero, and many fans love him for it. Broody also describes an urge to sit on eggs, as in Our favorite hen is broody, sitting on her eggs all day long. Example: Whenever Jordan is feeling broody, he listens to sad music to help express how he feels.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of broody
Vocabulary lists containing broody
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Titled “The Hungry, Moody, Broody Teens,” the film humorously depicted a group of friends coping with lousy school cafeteria food.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2018
Broody Bates: Even though there’s no secret anymore about why she’s sad, Anna knows things aren’t right between her and Bates.
From Time • Feb. 3, 2014
Broody and complex, it suggests a tune Bacharach might have given Dionne Warwick to sing in an uptown nightclub at 3 a.m.
From Time Magazine Archive
Broody, vaulting, magisterial, colored in shades of bleakest gray, it is a psychic tomb out of Edgar Allan Poe's haunted imagination.
From Time Magazine Archive
Broody hens brought from a distance should be carried in a basket, covered over with a cloth.
From Poultry A Practical Guide to the Choice, Breeding, Rearing, and Management of all Descriptions of Fowls, Turkeys, Guinea-fowls, Ducks, and Geese, for Profit and Exhibition. by Piper, Hugh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
