Surly
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈsɜːli/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Surly is an adjective meaning Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly.
Meaning
Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly.
More Meanings
- Threatening, menacing, gloomy.
- (obsolete) Lordly, arrogant, supercilious.
- (obsolete) In an arrogant or supercilious manner.
Example Sentences
The surly weather put us all in a bad mood.
Against the Capitol I met a lion / Who glazed upon me, and went surly by / Without annoying me […]
Word Forms
- surlier
- surliest
Synonyms for surly
Depending on context, synonyms include ugly, ill-natured.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include ill-natured, ugly, peevish, gruff, ill-humored, fretful.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.