What does "sullen" mean?
One who is solitary, or lives alone; a hermit.
Sullen
/ˈsʌlən/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who is solitary, or lives alone; a hermit.
- Grammar: sullen is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dour, morose, antisocial, at odds.
- Useful contrasts: cheerful, content, lighthearted.
- Usage evidence: She had a sullen look on her face.
How to use "sullen"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sullen" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sullen" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sullen" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sullen" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sullen" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dour" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sullen", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who is solitary, or lives alone; a hermit. archaic
"He sit neither with seint Johan, / Symond ne Jude, / Ne with maydenes ne with martires, / Confessours ne wydewes; / But by hymself as a soleyn, / And served on erthe."
- 2 Sullen feelings or manners; sulks; moroseness. in-plural
"And let them die that age and sullens have;"
Verb
- 1 To make sullen. obsolete
"The idle man is like the dumb jack in a virginal: while all the other dance out a winning music, this, like a member out of joint, sullens the whole body, with an ill disturbing laziness."
Adjective
- 1 Having a brooding ill temper; sulky.
"Still she entreats, and prettily entreats, / For to a pretty ear she tunes her tale; / Still is he sullen, still he lours and frets, / ‘Twixt crimson shame and anger ashy-pale;"
- 2 Gloomy; dismal; foreboding.
"a sullen atmosphere"
- 3 Sluggish; slow.
"The larger [stream] was placid, and even sullen, in its course."
- 4 Mischievous; malignant; unpropitious. obsolete
"Such sullen planets at my birth did shine, / They threaten every Fortune mixt with mine."
- 5 Obstinate; intractable. obsolete
"Things are as sullen as we are, and will be what they are whatever we think of them."
Adjective
- 1 darkened by clouds wordnet
- 2 showing a brooding ill humor wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"She had a sullen look on her face."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sullen"?
Common synonyms include: dour, morose, antisocial, at odds, autistic, averse.
How do you use "sullen" in a sentence?
She had a sullen look on her face.
How do you pronounce "sullen"?
Pronounced /ˈsʌlən/.
Etymology
From Middle English soleyn, from Anglo-Norman soleyn (“alone”), from Old French sole (“single, sole, alone”), from Latin sōlus (“by oneself alone”). The change in meaning from "single" to morose occurred in Middle English.