1
as in pouting
given to or displaying a resentful silence and often irritability
went about his chores in a surly huff, totally annoyed that he was stuck at home on this beautiful Saturday
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
having or showing a habitually bad temper
the surly receptionist told us we'd have to wait outside in the rain
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Recent Examples of surly
The third reason to slip the surly bonds of Earth is that our air is extremely good at shielding us from many wavelengths of light our eyes cannot see.
—
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 29 May 2025
Now, Stefani realizes that her own family members — including her surly teen brother, Charlie (Teo Briones), and her cousins Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) — are next in line.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 May 2025
Requests are taken for the next amendment, and a surly, very cool Matt (Goggins) has a one-word answer: guns.
—EW.com, 11 May 2025
Only this time, the cheerleader and the zombie are camp counselors for a group of surly vampires.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surly
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 29 May 2025
Now, Stefani realizes that her own family members — including her surly teen brother, Charlie (Teo Briones), and her cousins Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) — are next in line.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 May 2025
Requests are taken for the next amendment, and a surly, very cool Matt (Goggins) has a one-word answer: guns.
—EW.com, 11 May 2025
Only this time, the cheerleader and the zombie are camp counselors for a group of surly vampires.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surly
Adjective
-
Despite its self-destructive proclivities, the irritable giant has managed to make, and keep, a friend.—
Robin George Andrews,
New York Times,
22 July 2025
-
Determined to make a clean SPF, Brown says a chemical formula was out of the question (chemical sunscreens are often thought to be unsafe for the coral reef and irritable to sensitive skin types).—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
The model, a sullen blonde with messy pageboy hair, looked vaguely sick in it.—
Mona Awad,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
-
Everyone is behaving more or less like themselves, except for Jeremiah, who is behaving like Conrad at his most sullen.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
William Anderson, a writer who first wrote about Laura at age 16, told Slate in 2016 that Rose was angry at him for saying the books weren’t entirely true.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
-
And recent changes have made some gamblers angry, especially those who play professionally.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Just picture it: a Bond car chase reimagined as a slow, sulky glide through fog and existential dread.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
28 June 2025
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And at the play’s pinnacle, Stewart, an extraordinary trans actress, takes the show back from the sulky boys by performing a soft-limbed voguing solo, plunging to the floor as her braids twirl around her.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
The cantankerous bird perked up — just like his plumage — when taken off public display.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2025
-
The story isn't linear and sometimes the character's main motivation can be reduced to the moodiness of cantankerous old men.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
The passengers include several other mountain trekkers, among them an American professor (Bernard Curry) and his teenage daughter, Starr (Grace O’Sullivan), the latter’s nature instantly signified by her pouty demeanor and inability to put away her cell phone.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2025
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While the Pocket Blush is known for delivering gorgeous flushed cheeks in seconds, the Peptide Lip Shape is a recent favorite for perfectly contoured pouty lips.—
Kleigh Balugo,
StyleCaster,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That is, until an ornery cow named Daisy kicks over a lantern and ignites a fire that quickly engulfs the Windy City.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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The outcome is a fire ant that has the strength and ornery disposition of the fiercer red fire ant with the better tolerance of colder temperatures found in black fire ants.—
Gareth McGrath,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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Trump and his supporters prefer a happy history, a pleasant history that arouses patriotism by overlooking disagreeable people and despicable events that sully the nation’s reputation and mar the magnificence of the American story.—
William C. Hine,
Twin Cities,
23 July 2025
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Marina’s imperious grandmother (Marina Troncoso) is a disagreeable snob, more concerned with getting a mani-pedi or keeping leaves out of her precious swimming pool than getting to know her granddaughter.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Surly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surly. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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