surly

American  

[sur-lee] / ˈsɜr li /

adjective

surlier, surliest

1. churlishly rude or bad-tempered.

   a surly waiter.

   Synonyms:

   crabby, grouchy, grumpy, cross, choleric, splenetic, irascible, brusque, uncivil, sullen

2. unfriendly or hostile; menacingly irritable.

   a surly old lion.

   Synonyms:

   malevolent, threatening

3. dark or dismal; menacing; threatening.

   a surly sky.

   Synonyms:

   ominous

4. Obsolete. lordly; arrogant.

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surly British  

/ ˈsɜːlɪ /

adjective

1. sullenly ill-tempered or rude

2. (of an animal) ill-tempered or refractory

3. dismal

4. obsolete arrogant

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Related Words

See glum.

Other Word Forms

• surlily adverb
• surliness noun
• unsurlily adverb
• unsurliness noun
• unsurly adjective

Etymology

Origin of surly

First recorded in 1560–70; spelling variant of obsolete sirly “lordly, arrogant,” equivalent to sir + -ly

Example Sentences

“Great!” the man enthused, ignoring or not hearing the surlier comments.

From Literature

“Yeah, Dad’s right,” Camille says, her surly tone sounding more like the sister I’m used to.

From Literature

If we had wind chimes, it would’ve been a Lollapalooza monsoon of surly zephyrs all the livelong night.

From Los Angeles Times

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

I recommend having a ‘go box’ for when you slip these surly bonds of earth.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• boorish
• dour
• irritable
• morose
• rude
• sullen
• testy
• ugly