mumpish
Definition
- Adjective:
- Sullenly silent or sulky: "mumpish" describes a person who is in a state of silent displeasure, often characterized by a petulant or ill-humored refusal to speak or engage cheerfully.
- Morose or grumpy: It can also denote a general disposition of being sour-tempered, irritable, or inclined to complain quietly.
Usage Examples
- (The child was sulkily silent and displeased.)
- (His face showed silent, grumpy resentment.)
- (She responded with a sullen, uncommunicative gesture.)
Advanced Usage
- "To wear a mumpish look": to display a facial expression of sullen displeasure.
- The teenager wore a mumpish look throughout the family dinner, annoyed at having to attend. (He showed visible, silent irritation.)
Variants and Related Words
Mump (verb, rare): to mumble or speak indistinctly; also, to be sulky or in a bad mood.
- He would mump under his breath when things did not go his way. (He would grumble quietly.)
Mumpishness (noun): the quality or state of being mumpish.
- Her mumpishness was evident in her crossed arms and downturned mouth. (Her sulky, silent attitude was obvious.)
Synonyms
- Sulky: silently bad-tempered and offended.
- Morose: sullen and ill-tempered.
- Grumpy: irritable and inclined to complain.
- Petulant: childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
Related Idioms
To be in a huff: to be in a state of silent, offended annoyance.
- He left the room in a huff, mumpish and unwilling to discuss the issue. (He departed showing sullen displeasure.)
To have a face like a wet weekend: to display a visibly miserable or sulky expression.
- She had a face like a wet weekend, mumpish and uncommunicative. (Her expression was one of gloomy, silent displeasure.)