Meaning & use
sullenly
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Meaning
adverbnot comparable
In a silent, resentful way, showing that you are in a bad mood and do not wish to talk.
Grammar: Describes manner after verbs like stare, answer or sit: he answered sullenly.
Patterns
- say something sullenly
- stare sullenly at something
The teenager stared sullenly at his plate and refused to eat.
She answered sullenly, avoiding her mother's eyes.
The players trudged sullenly off the pitch after the defeat.
Common combinations
- mutter sullenly
- He muttered sullenly that he had never wanted to come.
- sit sullenly
- The child sat sullenly in the corner for an hour.
- stare sullenly
- She stared sullenly out of the window during the car ride.
- reply sullenly
- When asked about his homework, he replied sullenly.
- stand sullenly
- The crowd stood sullenly as the officials refused to answer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- moodily
- Moodily is similar but suggests changing or unpredictable feelings, while sullenly implies steady resentment.
- sulkily
- Sulkily is more childlike and suggests deliberate pouting to show displeasure.
- glumly
- Glumly suggests sadness or disappointment more than the angry resentment in sullenly.
- surlily
- Surlily is ruder and more openly hostile than sullenly.
Opposites
Word family
- sullen adjective
- bad-tempered and silent
- sullenness noun
- the state of being gloomy and resentful
- sulk verb
- to be silent and bad-tempered because of annoyance
- sulky adjective
- showing displeasure by being quiet or moody
Commonly confused: sullenly or solemnly?
sullenly vs solemnly
Solemnly means in a serious, formal way, often at a ceremony. It does not imply resentment as sullenly does.
Practice
Which adverb best describes a child who is angry but refuses to speak?
Choose one answer.
Sullenly describes silent, resentful behavior. The other options suggest positive attitudes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sullenly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.