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sullen
[ suhl-uhn ]
/ ËsÊl Én /
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adjective
showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve.
persistently and silently ill-humored; morose.
indicative of gloomy ill humor.
gloomy or dismal, as weather or a sound.
sluggish, as a stream.
Obsolete. malignant, as planets or influences.
OTHER WORDS FOR sullen
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Origin of sullen
First recorded in 1565â75; earlier sollen, solain, from Middle English solein(e), solain âsole, solitary, sullen,â possibly from Vulgar Latin sĆlÄnus (unattested), from Latin sĆlus âalone, only, singleâ
OTHER WORDS FROM sullen
sul·len·ly, adverbsul·len·ness, nounun·sul·len, adjectiveWords nearby sullen
sulindac, sulk, sulky, Sulla, sullage, sullen, sullenly, Sullivan, Sullom Voe, sully, Sully-Prudhomme
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use sullen in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for sullen
sullen
/ (ËsÊlÉn) /
adjective
unwilling to talk or be sociable; sulky; morose
sombre; gloomya sullen day
literary sluggish; slowa sullen stream
obsolete threatening
noun
(plural) archaic a sullen mood
Derived forms of sullen
sullenly, adverbsullenness, nounWord Origin for sullen
C16: perhaps from Anglo-French solain (unattested), ultimately related to Latin sĆlus alone
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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