broody

[ broo-dee ]

adjective

, brood·i·er, brood·i·est.

1. moody; gloomy.
2. inclined to sit on eggs:

   a broody hen.

broody

/ ˈbruːdɪ /

adjective

1. moody; meditative; introspective
2. (of poultry) wishing to sit on or hatch eggs
3. informal.
   (of a woman) wishing to have a baby of her own

Derived Forms

• ˈbroodiness, noun

Other Words From

• broodi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of broody¹

First recorded in 1505–15; brood + -y ¹

Example Sentences

When she finally got broody she was given seventeen eggs and allowed to settle down to the task of incubating Christmas dinners.

From Project Gutenberg

A broody blackbird 'chinked' anxiously, and a pigeon wheeled aside with a 'swoof.'

From Project Gutenberg

The chickens may be saved either by removing them to other broody hens or by putting them in a flannel wrapping in a warm place.

From Project Gutenberg

Because the broody hen makes a clucking noise, she is sometimes called a clucking hen.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no way of forcing or inducing hens to become broody before they would do so of their own accord.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• depressed
• dismal
• dour
• forlorn
• glum
• melancholy
• miserable
• pessimistic
• sad
• solemn
• sullen
• ugly

More About Broody

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.

Where does broody come from?

The first records of broody come from around 1505. It is formed from brood, which means “to think or worry persistently about,” and the suffix -y, which creates an adjective that means “characterized by or inclined to.”

Broody is nearly always used to describe human beings, specifically their personality or mood. If you’re feeling broody, you might feel depressed or sad. You might prefer to spend time by yourself thinking about problems you have or the state of the world. You might feel broody for only a little while or you might feel broody all the time.

Broody people are often depicted as being loners or focused on morbid subjects. But you can be a loner without being broody, and you can be broody while wanting to be with other people. Too, you can like morbid subjects whether you feel broody or not.

Two famous broody characters include Professor Snape from the Harry Potter series and Edward Cullen from the Twilight series. Vampires are often depicted in fiction as broody.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to broody?

• broodier (comparative adjective)
• broodiest (superlative adjective)
• broodiness (noun)

What are some synonyms for broody?

• depressed
• sad
• gloomy
• glum
• melancholy
• sullen

What are some words that share a root or word element with broody?

• brood

What are some words that often get used in discussing broody?

• depressed
• introvert
• down in the dumps
• feel blue

How is broody used in real life?

Broody is most often used to describe someone who is depressed or sad.

morgan just got ten thousand reasons to be even more of an emo broody child than she already is

— stef (@blqckmyre) December 8, 2018

#Arrow OK I'm here. Let's get dark and broody!

— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 19, 2015

You know its a depressing love song when the music video has a man in a trenchcoat with broody eyes walking on a street alone on a cold/rainy day.

— Nik🍟 (@nikhira2204) February 21, 2018

Try using broody!

Is the following a correct use of broody?

The broody man smiled and was always happy.