sullen

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English solein, from Anglo-Norman soleyn (alone), from Old French sole (single, sole, alone), from Latin sōlus (by oneself alone). The change in meaning from "single" to morose occurred in Middle English.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: sŭlʹən, IPA(key): /ˈsʌlən/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌlən
  • Hyphenation: sul‧len

Adjective

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sullen (comparative sullener, superlative sullenest)

  1. Having a brooding ill temper; sulky.
    • 1709, Matthew Prior, Pleasure:
      And sullen I forsook the imperfect feast.
    • 2007, Steven Wilson, "Normal", Porcupine Tree, Nil Recurring.
      Sullen and bored the kids stay / And in this way wish away each day
  2. Gloomy; dismal; foreboding.
    a sullen atmosphere
  3. Sluggish; slow.
  4. (obsolete) Lonely; solitary; desolate.
  5. (obsolete) Mischievous; malignant; unpropitious.
  6. (obsolete) Obstinate; intractable.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Translations

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Noun

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sullen (plural sullens)

  1. (obsolete) One who is solitary, or lives alone; a hermit.
  2. (in the plural) Sullen feelings or manners; sulks; moroseness.

Anagrams

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Middle Dutch

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Etymology

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From Old Dutch sulan.

Verb

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sullen

  1. (auxiliary) must, to have to
  2. (auxiliary, negated) may, be allowed to
  3. (auxiliary) will, shall, be going to (future tense)
    • 1249, Schepenbrief van Bochoute, Velzeke, eastern Flanders:
      Descepenen van bochouta quedden alle degene die dese lettren sien selen i(n) onsen here.
      The aldermen of Bochoute address all who will see this letter by our lord.
  4. (auxiliary, in the past tense) to be about to (inchoative)
  5. (modal auxiliary) indicates a possible or hypothetical situation
  6. (modal auxiliary) indicates information garnered from a third party that may or may not be reliable

Inflection

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This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Alternative forms

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Descendants

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  • Dutch: zullen
    • Afrikaans: sal
    • Jersey Dutch: zal
    • Negerhollands: sa, sal
    • Skepi Creole Dutch: sa
  • Limburgish: zölle, zólle

Further reading

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Middle English

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Verb

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sullen

  1. Alternative form of sellen

Northern Sami

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Pronunciation

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This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Verb

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sūllen

  1. first-person singular past indicative of suollit