ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsSsullen
ISEE/SSATmedium
sullen
Meaning: silently resentful or gloomy in mood
sullen in a sentence
How sullen is used in real sentences:
He gave a sullen shrug and refused to explain his silence.
The usually cheerful waiter turned sullen the moment his manager criticized him in front of customers.
“Courtiers learned to watch her revisions: a flattering phrase might be removed, or a sullen official ordered back to duty before resentment spread.”
— from the passage The Queen's Paper Roads
Synonyms for sullen
Other words for sullen — moody, sulky and morose — carry the same meaning.
Antonyms of sullen
Words that mean the opposite of sullen:
- cheerful
- bright
- amiable
Where it comes from
From Old French solein 'solitary'
Memory hook
SULLEN sounds like 'sulking' — quiet, moody, and withdrawn.