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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -y
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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 typically chipper sixth-grader had grown moody and quiet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Though the dry pitch seemed good for batting, a moody morning sky convinced England captain Joe Root to field first and his new-look pace attack was outstanding once more.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
Vincent is moody and erratic, and not doing well at his job.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
For Moody, the goal is to seamlessly integrate her designs into the show.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
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
DeSantis appointed Uthmeier, his former chief of staff, as attorney general last year to succeed Ashley Moody when she was named a U.S. senator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Pearl, despite Lexie’s involvement, still knew almost no one besides the Richardsons, and Moody was often the only person she spoke with during school.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
But if fresh tomatoes are summer’s darling, sun-dried tomatoes are their moodier, more savory cousin.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 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
He even looked younger, swapping his clean-shaven exuberance for a moodier vibe, crooning ballads beneath a cap and shades that hid his face.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 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
Her fascination soothed the savage Peter in his moodiest hours.
From Incidents of Travel in Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Poland, 7th ed. Vol. 2 of 2 by John Lloyd Stephens
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
