moody
adjective
given to gloomy, depressed, or sullen moods; ill-humored.
moody
1 American
[moo-dee]
/ ˈmu di /
Moody
2
American
[moo-dee]
/ ˈmu di /
noun
-
Dwight Lyman 1837–99, U.S. evangelist.
-
Helen Wills. Wills, Helen Newington.
-
William Vaughn 1869–1910, U.S. poet and playwright.
moody
1
British
/ ˈmuːdɪ /
adjective
-
sullen, sulky, or gloomy
-
temperamental or changeable
Moody
2
British
/ ˈmuːdɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of moody
before 900; Middle English mody, Old English mōdig. See mood 1, -y 1
Explanation
If you're in a bad mood, especially when you were in a pretty good mood this morning, you can say you're moody. A moody person's emotions change unpredictably and often. Someone with erratic moods is moody — you could also call them temperamental or changeable. If you describe a painting or a piece of music as moody, you probably mean that it has a dark, gloomy nature. A moody play, for example, might be a little depressing, or at least melancholy. Moody, from the Old English modig, began by meaning "arrogant or proud," and around the late sixteenth century became "subject to gloomy spells."
Vocabulary lists containing moody
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -y
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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.
See Examples For:
The soft green remains in the primary bedroom, which also features moody fabrics, such as a tapestry hanging on the wall and heavy patterned curtains.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Where Tumblr-ites dreamed of the cloistered quads and moody libraries of Princeton in the 2010s, TikTok-ers now obsess over the elaborate rituals of University of Alabama sororities.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Bella Ramsey spent many teenage years working with adults so never really went through the moody, rebellious phase often associated with being a teenager.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The melodrama begins early on with the opening track, “Te Llevas To” — a moody EDM elegy that explores the loss of one’s self after a relationship ends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The bookshop was dimly cool, its air moody and eclectic, books, CDs, and magazines spread out on low shelves.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Moody outspent Nixon by more than double to barely eke out a majority.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
Dr Hannah Moody, chief executive of charity Mesothelioma UK which campaigns on asbestos-related diseases, said she backs introducing a national asbestos register and the phased removal of asbestos from public buildings.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Above the face, in oversized manuscript, Moody wrote, “We are confident the Court will not vacate the Judgment.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Moody said he expected wage growth to pick up in coming quarters as labor productivity growth has been strong even before AI investment is factored into the equation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
“You’re all always picking on her,” Moody said.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
"He's moodier," she says, adding he spends more time playing video games than before.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
“Midnights,” from 2022, was a little moodier than 2024’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” which was a little wordier than its predecessor, but both operated within a relatively narrow template.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025
This version of carrot cake is darker, denser, a little moodier.
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2025
There’s also a moodier side to him that you get peeks of in his stand-up but that probably deserves fuller expression.
From New York Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
The weather’s grown moodier since I fell asleep.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
He works through his grandfather’s illness and eventual demise on “God Laughs,” the moodiest and most haunting song of the project.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 16, 2022
The album, their third and moodiest, was a distinct, post-punk swerve away from the hip-hop and breakbeat culture they had championed in Bristol.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 17, 2019
Charles Todd’s hero, himself a victim of shell shock, is one of the moodiest detectives in the genre.
From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2018
Chugging guitars set the tone for the rest of the album, which is their moodiest and most energetic since the reunion with Sprout.
From Time ● Feb. 21, 2014
Contrast the moodiest parts of Childe Harold or of Cain with Novalis's Night Hymns.
From Critical Miscellanies, Vol. I Essay 3: Byron by John Morley
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