adjective
Related Words
See glum.
Other Word Forms
- morosely adverb
- moroseness noun
- morosity noun
- supermorose adjective
- supermoroseness noun
- unmorose adjective
- unmoroseness noun
Etymology
Origin of morose
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin mōrōsus “fretful, peevish, willful,” equivalent to mōr- (stem of mōs ) “will, inclination” + -ōsus adjective suffix ( -ose 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.
A morose horse, rice cakes, and a Harry Potter villain have become surprise hits in China ahead of the country's Lunar New Year holiday.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
Despite its serious subject matter, the novel is neither morbid nor morose.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026
And the album’s closer, the pretty but slow “Silent Eyes,” feels like another morose nail in the coffin of a relationship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025
For starters, some chronic oversavers can be anxious and morose.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 24, 2025
A more morose Christmas Eve dinner had never been had among the Vanderbeekers.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Definitions 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.
