sullenly
Americanadverb
-
in a way that shows irritation, ill humor, or gloom; morosely.
In the next room, an embittered, lonely man sits sullenly.
-
with a gloomy or dismal sound.
The door thudded sullenly behind her.
The waves roared sullenly against the base of the cliff.
Other Word Forms
- unsullenly adverb
Etymology
Origin of sullenly
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.
They regard each other sullenly, like children forced into introductions by their parents.
From Slate • Nov. 13, 2023
In his bathroom brooding raptors hooded like hangmen shifted sullenly upon their perches.
From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2022
Everyone knew that the fifth-round pick had bounce, but as he sat sullenly after the play, the question was: Could he bounce back?
From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2022
He conveys Del's hollowness by sullenly trudging through Buell and speaking in a tone devoid of affect.
From Salon • Sep. 12, 2021
“Someone’s got to do these things,” he said sullenly.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
