adjective
Synonym Usage
See glum.
Other Word Forms
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 ( see -ose 1)
Explanation
A morose person is sullen, gloomy, sad, glum, and depressed — not a happy camper. When someone is morose, they seem to have a cloud of sadness hanging over them. This word is stronger than just sad — morose implies being extremely gloomy and depressed. We all can be morose at times, like after the death of a friend or family member. Whether you're morose due to an event or just because you're feeling blue, you should try skipping or whistling a little tune to perk things up.
Vocabulary lists containing morose
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Animal Farm
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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.
But an attorney for the defendant spent his time poking holes in the testimony of witnesses and saying the plaintiffs were motivated by money when they brought the case against Jean Morose Viliena.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 20, 2023
“It appears that Mr. Morose saved the lives of several individuals,” the district attorney’s office said, according to Syracuse.com.
From Washington Times • Mar. 20, 2023
Morose and maudlin, not Maybach and Margiela, became the mark of megastardom.
From The Guardian • Apr. 28, 2016
Morose and weepy, cued by all the fruitless yearning and bitter regret rippling through the plays?
From Washington Post • Apr. 14, 2015
Morose by nature, there was little in his present circumstance to give Johnston any cheer.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
