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Synonyms

moody

1 American  
[moo-dee] / ˈmu di /

adjective

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

    Synonyms:
    brooding, morose, sulky
  2. proceeding from or showing such a mood.

    a moody silence.

  3. expressing or exhibiting sharply varying moods; mood; temperamental.


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.


moody 1 British  
/ ˈmuːdɪ /

adjective

  1. sullen, sulky, or gloomy

  2. temperamental or changeable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • moodily adverb
  • moodiness noun
  • unmoody adjective

Etymology

Origin of moody

before 900; Middle English mody, Old English mōdig. See mood 1, -y 1

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.

The painter left little behind to explain his art except the work itself: moody, frenetic and arresting.

From The Wall Street Journal

Berry uses a blend of instruments — including saxophones, synthesizers and sound bowls — to craft the otherworldly, moody score.

From Los Angeles Times

An exterior staircase leads down to a dramatic interior with a circular bar, soaring ceilings, and moody lighting.

From Salon

The single dropped on 17 October 2005 and the cover featured a moody teenage supermarket cashier wearing a tabard.

From BBC

Other tracks include “Just a Little,” strutting to a Rolling Stones-ish riff, and the bluesy, moody “Go on Down to Mobile,” with a brief but searing guitar solo that is recognizably his.

From Los Angeles Times