surly

Speech parts

1. surly - Adjective

2. surly - Adverb

3. surly - Adjective Satellite

Meaning

Arrogant; haughty.

Gloomily morose; ill-natured, abrupt, and rude; severe; sour; crabbed; rough; sullen; gloomy; as, a surly groom; a surly dog; surly language; a surly look.

Rough; dark; tempestuous.

Source: Webster's dictionary

Synonyms

ugly curt moody crabby huffy cross hostile harsh unpleasant sour abrupt miserable rude gloomy brooding

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Antonyms

allied beautiful happy friendly mild attractive

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Phrases with the word

surly as a bear with a sore head as surly as a bear as surly as a bear with a sore head surly as a bear be surly surly answer

Derivatives

surlier surliest

Examples

Lord, confound this surly sister, Blight her brow with blotch and blister, Cramp her larynx, lung and liver, In her guts a galling give her. John Millington Synge

When chill November's surly blast Made fields and forests bare. Robert Burns

We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.' Ronald Reagan

Slowly but surly I want to strip her of every kind of happiness as to make a saint of her. Jean Genet

Chestnut horses and surly men can't even cover expenses. Sicilian Proverb

The gentle lamb sucks any ewe as well as its mother; the surly lamb sucks neither its own nor another. Spanish Proverb

Close letter words and terms

surliness surling surloin surly answer surly as a bear surly as a bear with a sore head