surly
Americanadjective
-
churlishly rude or bad-tempered.
a surly waiter.
-
unfriendly or hostile; menacingly irritable.
a surly old lion.
- Synonyms:
- malevolent, threatening
-
dark or dismal; menacing; threatening.
a surly sky.
- Synonyms:
- ominous
-
Obsolete. lordly; arrogant.
adjective
-
sullenly ill-tempered or rude
-
(of an animal) ill-tempered or refractory
-
dismal
-
obsolete arrogant
Synonym Usage
See glum.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of surly
First recorded in 1560–70; spelling variant of obsolete sirly “lordly, arrogant,” equivalent to sir + -ly
Explanation
Surly describes behavior nobody wants to be around. Think of the irritable old guy who lives on your street and always seems to be simmering with some sullen nasty anger, whose every utterance he spits out with a rude snarl. He's the poster boy for surly. Surly behavior is always frowned upon, but the word's origins are in the behavior of English nobility. Surly's roots are in sirly, as in sir, meaning arrogant, haughty, and superior. Its current meaning implies all that and more, none of it appealing — rude, snotty, sullen, mean and cranky can be added to the list. Generally speaking, if you find yourself in a surly mood, avoid your friends and loved ones.
Vocabulary lists containing surly
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 7
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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.
See Examples For:
It’s not hard to see why Platner is so surly in his 11-minute Wednesday video announcing that he would end his campaign.
From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2026
The presence of the surly uncle, insufferable in-law, or grating girlfriend at the holiday table can make it hard to truly count one’s blessings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
I recommend having a ‘go box’ for when you slip these surly bonds of earth.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 20, 2025
She’s entering surly adolescence like a hot comet and not thrilled to have a new stepmother.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2024
The next morning, everyone’s a bit groggy, a bit surly, as men’ll be of a morning.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
He was a surly, proud character who only got surlier and prouder in his old age.
From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2020
As you enjoy your coq au vin this summer in a quaint Parisian bistro, you may find the staff even surlier than usual.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2014
After another pricey ride with an even surlier cab driver, our first night at Book Expo was drawing to a close.
From Time ● May 30, 2013
Even without the cachet of the Big Apple or the championship pedigree of at least one of the teams, Chicago’s intra-city rivalry may be the surlier of the two.
From New York Times ● Jun. 20, 2011
“Great!” the man enthused, ignoring or not hearing the surlier comments.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Or April 20, 1991, when the cast of “Saturday Night Live” had to put up with the surliest, unfunniest host in the show’s history: wooden action star Steven Seagal.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 5, 2021
The other is the latest, and perhaps surliest, entry in the crowded field of shows about teens trying to fit in.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2021
To be fair, the surliest cities also tend to be the biggest and most fast-paced, which may give visitors an air of indifference—whether it’s intentional or not.
From Time ● Aug. 13, 2015
At the end of the Kettleman’s story arc, the great Jonathan Banks gets to do something besides be the world’s surliest parking attendant.
From Forbes ● Feb. 17, 2015
The Daisy is one of the few flowers of which the child may pick any quantity without fear of scolding from the surliest gardener.
From The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare by Ellacombe, Henry Nicholson
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.
