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• moody
  moody

  adjective

  given to gloomy, depressed, or sullen moods; ill-humored.
• Moody
  Moody

  noun

  Dwight Lyman 1837–99, U.S. evangelist.

moody

¹ American  

[moo-dee] / ˈmu di /

adjective

• moodier,
  comparative
• moodiest
  superlative

1. given to gloomy, depressed, or sullen moods; ill-humored.

   Synonyms:

   brooding, morose, sulky

2. proceeding from or showing such a mood.

   a moody silence.

3. expressing or exhibiting sharply varying moods; temperamental.

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Moody ² American  

[moo-dee] / ˈmu di /

noun

1. Dwight Lyman 1837–99, U.S. evangelist.

2. Helen Wills. Wills, Helen Newington.

3. William Vaughn 1869–1910, U.S. poet and playwright.

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moody ¹ British  

/ ˈmuːdɪ /

adjective

1. sullen, sulky, or gloomy

2. temperamental or changeable

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Moody ² British  

/ ˈmuːdɪ /

noun

1. Dwight Lyman. 1837–99, US evangelist and hymnodist, noted for his revivalist campaigns in Britain and the US with I. D. Sankey

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• moodiness
  noun
• unmoody
  adjective
• moodily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• moodier
  comparative
• moodiest
  superlative

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

moody Moody moodier moodiest

Kavinsky, the French electronic musician and DJ whose moody single “Nightcall” scored the hit film “Drive,” has died.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

The primary portrait of Adrian that emerges in “Remake” is that of a moody young man, his attitude toward his father flitting between mild tolerance and barely veiled resentment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Two years ago, Sugar began as a stylish and moody homage to the black-and-white films of the 1940s and ’50s.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026

Over the past few years, however, he has become moody and unwilling to help her.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Mrs. Sylvester had always said that swans were terribly moody creatures.

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo

Speaking outside court, his daughter Joanne Moody, said she felt "really really let down".

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Appeared in the July 31, 2026, print edition as 'Spider-Man’s Moody Return'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Moody said she could now "start remembering dad as he was, not thinking about Bush walking the streets".

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Richard Moody, chief economist at Regions Financial, said the task force might end up making recommendations about improvements to U.S. statistical agencies.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

Moody, listening to his mother describe their new tenants, was intrigued less by the artist than by the mention of the “brilliant” daughter just his age.

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

Ms. Croft said that Angola has been “one of the moodier members, having staged multiple meeting walkouts in recent years.”

From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2023

Besides, the navigator has been moodier than usual.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

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

A little of him goes a long way; and I should say, judging from the expression of his lips, that he is in his moodiest mood to day.

From Faith and Unfaith by Duchess