sullen

Imagine a child who does not get the toy they want. They might stomp off, refuse to speak, and sit with a dark look on their face. That is the feeling this word often describes. It means being in a bad mood and showing it by being quiet, gloomy, and unwilling to join in. It is more than simple sadness. There is often anger or hurt underneath, and it comes out as silence, cold looks, or a gloomy attitude. In a story, a character with this mood might sit apart from the group and answer in a sharp or unfriendly way.

The word "sullen" describes someone who is gloomy, bad-tempered, and quietly resentful. It is not simply about feeling sad. It usually suggests an attitude of silence, withdrawal, and a lack of willingness to be cheerful or cooperative. A person in this mood is often not openly explosive. Instead, they may look closed off, answer very little, or show their unhappiness through cold silence and dark looks.

The history of the word points to ideas of being alone or apart, which fits the way people often act when they feel this way. A person in this mood may pull back from others, avoid conversation, or make it clear that they do not want company.

You will often see "sullen" used for people in stories, especially when they feel unhappy, angry, or dissatisfied but do not say much about it. It can also be used for things like a "sullen sky" or a "sullen sea," where it suggests something dark, heavy, and unfriendly in mood. A sullen expression is often quiet, hard, and closed off.

In everyday life, it describes a clear kind of behavior: "After losing the game, he sat in sullen silence," or "She gave him a sullen look when he asked her to do more chores." It suggests a quiet, lasting unhappiness mixed with resentment. It is stronger than simply being grumpy because it often carries a sense of refusal: refusal to talk, to smile, or to take part in a warm way. If someone seems full of quiet anger and will not soften, this word is often a good fit.