surly
/'sə:li/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Bad-tempered and unfriendly; inclined to anger or rudeness: Describes a person who is habitually ill-humored, sullen, and often rude in manner.
- Menacing or threatening in a sullen way: Implies a gruff, almost hostile attitude that can seem intimidating.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- The surly clerk refused to answer my question.
- His surly demeanor made everyone in the office uncomfortable.
- We received a surly response when we asked for directions.
Advanced Usage
- "surly and": Often used in conjunction with another adjective to emphasize the nature of the bad temper.
- He was surly and uncooperative throughout the entire meeting.
- Describing an abstract quality:
- A surly silence filled the room after his outburst.
Variants and Related Words
- Surliness (noun): The quality or state of being surly.
- The surliness of the guard was noted in the complaint.
Synonyms
- Sullen: Showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence.
- Morose: Sullen and ill-tempered.
- Gruff: Abrupt or stern in manner or speech.
- Cantankerous: Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
Antonyms
- Amiable: Having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner.
- Genial: Friendly and cheerful.
- Affable: Good-natured and easy to talk to.
Related Phrases
- In a surly mood: Describing a temporary state of being bad-tempered.
- He's been in a surly mood all morning.
- Surly attitude: A characteristic unfriendly disposition.
- Her surly attitude is not helpful in a customer service role.
Adjective
- inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace
- a surly waiter
- an ugly frame of mind