sulk
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
-
a state or fit of sulking.
-
sulks, ill-humor shown by sulking.
to be in the sulks.
-
Also sulker. a person who sulks.
verb
noun
-
(often plural) a state or mood of feeling resentful or sullen
he's in a sulk because he lost the game
he's got the sulks
-
Also: sulker. a person who sulks
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sulksimple
-
sulkssimple
-
have sulkedperfect
-
has sulkedperfect
-
am sulkingprogressive
-
are sulkingprogressive
-
is sulkingprogressive
-
have been sulkingperfect progressive
-
has been sulkingperfect progressive
Past
-
sulkedsimple
-
had sulkedperfect
-
was sulkingprogressive
-
were sulkingprogressive
-
had been sulkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sulk
First recorded in 1775–85; back formation from sulky
Explanation
When you are displeased by something and you let your gloomy mood show, you're sulking. Do you want to bake another cake, or are you going to sulk all day about the one you dropped? When you say someone sulks, the tone of the word suggests the person is overdoing it. You wouldn't accuse a widow of sulking at her husband's funeral, because she has a good reason to be sad and gloomy. Instead of sulking because you messed up your tuba solo during the concert, why not put your energy into practice? Or switch to violin.
Vocabulary lists containing sulk
Where the Red Fern Grows
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
My Brother Sam is Dead
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Out of the Dust
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
On reaching the podium the Sulk had his first moment of self doubt.
From The Guardian • Oct. 2, 2019
But it was not long before his temper and impatience with English gentility earned him a raft of tabloid-ready monikers: Superbrat, the Incredible Sulk, McTantrum.
From The Guardian • Jul. 1, 2017
We've only been streaming it and don't have a finished copy, but we're hoping Trust's debut album opens with Sulk.
From The Guardian • Oct. 10, 2012
Who seriously believes that Anelka - a much misunderstood player, but not known as Le Sulk for nothing - would play football in the house, much less with a Pringles can?
From The Guardian • Jun. 23, 2010
Throwing herself into the third person, "Don't you 'ear what your mother is a telling of you, Sulk?" she demanded.
From The Happy Warrior by Hutchinson, A. S. M. (Arthur Stuart-Menteth)
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.
