morose

[muh-rohs]

adjective

1. gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.

   Synonyms: surly, sulky, sour, moody
   Antonyms: cheerful, cheerful

2. characterized by or expressing gloom.

morose

/ məˈrəʊs /

adjective

1. ill-tempered or gloomy

Other Word Forms

• morosely adverb
• moroseness noun
• morosity noun
• supermorose adjective
• supermoroseness noun
• unmorose adjective
• unmoroseness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of morose¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin mōrōsus “fretful, peevish, willful,” equivalent to mōr- (stem of mōs ) “will, inclination” + -ōsus adjective suffix ( -ose ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of morose¹

C16: from Latin mōrōsus peevish, capricious, from mōs custom, will, caprice

Synonym Study

See glum.

Example Sentences

To take a cue from Shakespeare, then, the switch from peerless Penelope to morose Master Gogolev might well make a person say, “O children, what a falling off was there!”

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And the album’s closer, the pretty but slow “Silent Eyes,” feels like another morose nail in the coffin of a relationship.

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He’s a morose architect who aspires to build risky, revolutionary designs.

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He clicked on another photo — a young girl, her head turned to the side, with a morose expression on her face.

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As Tuesday’s deliberations concluded, Combs was seen praying in the courtroom and looking morose, according to the Associated Press.

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Related Words

• cranky 
• dour 
• gloomy 
• glum 
• grouchy 
• melancholy 
• mournful 
• sad 
• sullen 
• surly 
• testy 
• ugly